NEW DELIH: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday accused the opposition of attempting to use students and young people as “political tools” amid the ongoing protests in Delhi. The defence minister described the demonstrations in the national capital as “a matter of serious concern” and alleged that they were being driven by political interests.“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 fulfill their political interests,” he wrote in a post on X.Rajnath said the Narendra Modi-led government remained committed to addressing the aspirations and concerns of young people.“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, 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.Expressing confidence in the country’s youth, Rajnath added that they would not be swayed by what he called 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.”The defence minister also accused opposition leaders of creating a “manufactured Sense of Anger” to influence public opinion, particularly among young people.“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 wrote.Rajnath also defended the government’s approach, noting that Parliament is in session and the Centre has repeatedly expressed its willingness to hold discussions on all issues.“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.Rajnath’s remark came as the Rajya Sabha witnessed fresh disruptions on the third day of the Monsoon Session, with the Opposition insisting that Union education minister dharmendra Pradhan resign before any discussion on the alleged NEET paper leak.Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was fully prepared to debate the issue but accused the opposition of imposing conditions to avoid a discussion. He said the Centre had been ready to discuss the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination since the session began and had conveyed its willingness to Congress and other opposition parties. Rijiju added that the timing and format of the debate would be decided by the Chair after consultations with all parties. He stressed that the government had a responsibility to explain the steps taken to address concerns over the examination. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge maintained that no debate would take place until Pradhan stepped down, leading to the House being adjourned until 3 pm.
