Rajnath Singh accuses Opposition of politicising student protests

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New Delhi, July 22

As protests in Delhi continue to draw political attention, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has appealed for dialogue, saying the government is committed to listening to students while accusing opposition parties of turning young people into political instruments.

In a statement on Wednesday, he described the ongoing demonstrations in the national capital as a matter of “serious concern” and said it was “extremely unfortunate” that, according to him, some political groups were trying to use students and young people to advance their own interests.

He said the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, remained committed to fulfilling the aspirations of India’s youth and ensuring their welfare.

He said that it was the responsibility of the government to hear students’ concerns and work towards resolving them. He expressed confidence that young people would recognise what he described as attempts to mislead them and instead choose “the path of progress, development and nation-building”.

The Defence Minister also said the government was determined to ensure that no injustice was done to anyone, particularly students and young people. He criticised what he called a “manufactured sense of anger” by some opposition leaders, alleging that it was intended to create confusion among the public and the country’s youth.

Calling for political engagement through democratic institutions, the Defence Minister said Parliament, which is currently holding its Monsoon Session, was the appropriate forum for debate. He said that the government had expressed its willingness to discuss every issue and urged the opposition to raise its concerns inside Parliament instead of taking them to the streets.

He added that if the opposition was serious about addressing public concerns, it should allow the smooth functioning of Parliament and use the House to draw attention to the issues facing the country.