Following the violence during the students' march to Parliament on July 20, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav arrived at Jantar Mantar wearing a pink saree. While many political leaders visited briefly, she remained at the protest site, comforting injured demonstrators and assisting a protester who had fainted. It was one of several visits she made to the venue, marking a more prominent public role after spending much of her political career in the shadow of her husband, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.
The 48-year-old MP from Mainpuri was among the first politicians to publicly associate herself with the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) protest before it gathered nationwide momentum. On July 16, she visited Jantar Mantar to meet activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was then on a hunger strike demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Notably, Akhilesh Yadav did not accompany her.
"The government's attitude towards the sentiments of the country's youth is concerning," Dimple wrote on X. Wangchuk later ended his fast on Friday.
Two days later, after Wangchuk was shifted from the protest site to a hospital by Delhi Police, Dimple criticised the government's actions in another social media post. Referring to the white sheets used while removing him, she wrote, "BJP folks have brought a white shroud as a coffin for the nation."
Dimple Yadav's changing political image
The protests reflected a different side of Dimple Yadav, who has traditionally been viewed as a soft-spoken and low-profile leader. Her political journey began in 2009 when she unsuccessfully contested the Ferozabad Lok Sabha election. She entered Parliament in 2012 after winning the Kannauj bypoll.
Since then, she has secured two more electoral victories and currently represents Mainpuri, considered the political stronghold of late Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Her more assertive approach was evident on July 20, when she was detained while leading a march from Parliament to Jantar Mantar in support of the student protesters. After being released, she attempted to cross police barricades to reach the demonstrators.
Videos of Dimple, dressed in a saree, climbing police barricades quickly went viral. Other clips showed her asking party workers to bring water for an injured protester and trying to help him regain his breath.
She was also seen arguing with police personnel during her detention.
"Today will be remembered as a black day for democracy," Dimple told reporters. She also alleged that women protesters had been mistreated and that some had their clothes torn during the clashes.
"The Samajwadi Party is fully with the students. This is not NEET, it is CHEAT," she posted on X.
As a mother of three, Dimple said she understood the concerns and emotions of the protesting students.
A more prominent role within the party
According to party leaders quoted by Deccan Herald, Dimple displayed a level of aggression that had rarely been seen in her political career. By evening, however, that assertiveness gave way to compassion.
She remained at Jantar Mantar, avoided media interactions, attended to injured protesters and distributed water to demonstrators.
Dimple also adopted a more aggressive stance in Parliament, demanding the resignation of both Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"The Education Minister should have resigned on his own after such a massive movement... The Delhi Police functions under the Centre; it is responsible for the excesses against the students. I believe the Home Minister should also resign because this has become a major issue," she said in Parliament on Thursday.
Her increasingly visible role comes at a significant political moment, with the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections only months away.
In recent years, Dimple has become more active at key Samajwadi Party events.
According to The Indian Express, she has increasingly focused on issues such as education, employment and women's rights as the party seeks to challenge the Yogi Adityanath government.
She is also increasingly being viewed as the party's second most prominent leader. Earlier, that position was widely associated with Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother, Shivpal Singh Yadav.
Under Akhilesh Yadav's leadership, Dimple has gained greater visibility and political influence. Her active participation in the student protests has highlighted a different facet of her public persona.
Known for keeping a low profile, Dimple has emerged as one of the Samajwadi Party's most recognisable faces during the CJP protests. In her trademark sarees and loosely tied hair, she has become a regular presence at the protest site, carving out a distinct political identity beyond that of her husband.
