Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Wednesday that opposition parties are using student protesters in New Delhi as a political tool.
The comments highlight a growing tension between the Indian government and opposition blocs over the legitimacy of street protests versus legislative debate. By framing the unrest as a calculated political move, the government is challenging the authenticity of the students' grievances.
Singh addressed the ongoing protests in central Delhi, specifically those occurring in the Jantar Mantar area. He said that opposition parties are exploiting the youth to create a manufactured sense of anger for their own political interests [1], [2].
"Opposition parties are using students as a political tool," Singh said [1].
The minister argued that the current unrest is not a spontaneous movement but a strategic effort to destabilize the administration. He said the opposition is making an inappropriate attempt to resolve national grievances on the streets rather than inside the legislative houses [2].
According to Singh, the opposition is misleading the youth to serve a specific agenda [2]. He said that the proper venue for addressing national issues is Parliament, where grievances can be debated, and resolved through formal legislative processes.
"They are manufacturing a sense of anger to serve their own interests," Singh said [2].
The protests in Delhi have become a focal point for political friction this week. The government's stance suggests that the mobilization of students is being directed by party leadership rather than organic student leadership, a claim that shifts the focus from the protesters' demands to the motives of the opposition parties.
“"Opposition parties are using students as a political tool"”
This rhetoric reflects a broader strategy by the Indian government to delegitimize street-level activism by attributing it to organized political opposition. By characterizing the protests as 'manufactured,' the administration seeks to move the conflict from the public square—where visual demonstrations can garner international attention—into the controlled environment of Parliament, where the government maintains a stronger procedural advantage.
