Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday accused opposition parties of using students and youth as “political tools” to further their own interests, alleging that a “manufactured sense of anger” was being deliberately stoked to sway public opinion.
Taking to X, Singh called the ongoing protests in the national capital “a matter of serious concern,” asserting they were being fuelled by political motives rather than genuine grievances. “The ongoing protests in Delhi are a matter of serious concern. It is extremely unfortunate that some people are attempting to use the students and youth of our country as a political tool to further their own political interests,” he wrote.
The defence minister reaffirmed the Narendra Modi government’s commitment to addressing the concerns of young people, stating that responding to student issues remained a top priority. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, our government is fully committed to fulfilling the aspirations of students and youth and to their welfare. It is our responsibility to listen to every concern of our students and resolve it,” he said.
Singh also voiced confidence that India’s youth would see through what he described as attempts to mislead them. “I am fully confident that India’s aware, mature, and sensible youth fully understand such deceptive attempts and will choose the path of progress, development, and nation-building,” he said, adding that opposition leaders were resorting to manufactured outrage to confuse the public. “The Manufactured Sense of Anger by some opposition leaders is merely a failed attempt to confuse and mislead the public, especially our children and youth. We are fully sensitive to the sentiments and concerns of the youth,” he said.
Singh further defended the government’s approach, pointing out that Parliament is currently in session and that the Centre has repeatedly signalled its readiness for dialogue. “Parliament is in session, and the government has also stated its willingness to have meaningful debates on every issue, but the opposition is making an inappropriate attempt to resolve issues not in Parliament but on the streets,” he said.
Kharge: No Discussion Until Pradhan Resigns
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, hardened his party’s position, declaring that no discussion would take place in Parliament on any issue until Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan steps down. “We want discussion on NEET under Rule 267… Education Minister should resign,” Kharge said.
Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan clarified that discussions under Rule 267 can only be taken up if the matter is listed on that day’s agenda, adding that any notice on an issue outside the listed business would not be considered valid. Kharge alleged that the government was deliberately avoiding key issues raised by the opposition.
‘Government Ready to Discuss Every Issue,’ Says Nadda
Leader of the House J.P. Nadda pushed back against Kharge’s charge, saying the government had not avoided any opposition-raised discussion and that adequate time had been allotted for debate. He maintained that the government remained open to discussing every issue in the House.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju echoed this stance, reiterating that the government was fully prepared to debate the matter but accused the opposition of introducing fresh conditions to stall discussion. He said the Centre had already expressed its willingness to Congress and other opposition parties to discuss alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, adding that the government had a duty to explain the corrective steps it had taken.
Opposition leaders have demanded the resignations of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over police action against protesters and the NEET paper leak controversy. Both Houses of Parliament witnessed disruptions on the third day of the Monsoon Session.
-
-
-
-
