Many social media users questioned Naimisha’s education in a foreign country, while others maintained that the issue should remain focused on Dharmendra Pradhan.
Nimisha Pradhan, daughter of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, has deactivated her social media account following online outrage over her pursuit of an educational degree abroad. Naima holds a Master of Laws degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts, USA.
Amid the Cockroach Janta Party’s protest against Jantar Mantar, demanding Pradhan’s resignation as Education Minister, Instagram users found his daughter’s account and flooded the comment sections of several posts, tagging her. Anger boiled over after police actions against student demonstrators on Monday earlier this week, when the AKP was organizing a march to parliament to raise its issues.
Many Instagram users posted videos and posts, questioning Naima’s education in a foreign country, and urging her father’s resignation from his ministerial position. Social media users also flooded the comments sections of posts made by Tufts University with slogans like “Dharmendra Pradhan resigns” and also called for her suspension from the educational institution. It may be noted that Naimisha received her Master of Laws degree in 2023 and began working as a Senior Associate at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).
A post tagged as Pradhan’s daughter claimed that she pursued her education abroad because of the country’s education system. “You are studying abroad because you know what millions of Indian students already know: our education system is failing them,” the post read, adding that other students would also leave if they were given “privilege and money.”
While some users pointed to Tufts University and claimed that it was “part of the problem”, others maintained that the issue should remain focused on Pradhan and not include his family members. Dragging a family member into the matter, especially someone who is not the decision maker, is crossing a line, one user said, adding that accountability should be sought from people in position. The user added: “Criticize those in power, question their actions, and demand change.”
Pradhan’s first reaction to AKP protest: ‘We owe our students more than anger’
Meanwhile, Union Education Minister Pradhan, in his first reaction to the CJP’s protest at Jantar Mantar, criticized the Congress and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. He further said that the government is ready to discuss NEET and address the concerns of youth in the House.
“LoP Shri @RahulGandhi and @INCIndia continue to shamelessly exploit students as political tools to manufacture disruption during the monsoon session of Parliament,” Pradhan said in a post on X. He added that Rahul and other leaders staged a sit-in outside the Prime Minister’s residence “causing inconvenience to the public and ignoring established security protocols.” The Union minister said the government has expressed its willingness to discuss NEET and other issues in Parliament, alleging that the Congress “chose political spectacle over democratic debate”.
“For Rahul Gandhi, it is not about students. It is about manufacturing confrontation after opening every real avenue for discussion,” Pradhan said in the post. He said the government “remains 100% committed to discussing NEET”, adding that students “deserve much better than being treated as props in a political campaign”. “We owe our students more than just anger. We owe them answers, reforms and accountability. This is exactly what our government remains committed to achieving,” Pradhan added.
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