New Delhi: The Congress on Friday hit back at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after he accused the party and its allies of seeking a change of government in India along the lines of Bangladesh, news agency Press Trust of India reported. Singh alleged that the Congress and its allies were using the energy of young people to spread anarchy, while the opposition party cited former president Pranab Mukherjee to defend its role in a democracy.
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Singh criticised the Congress and its allies over protests in the national capital. He said democracy did not give anyone the licence to create disorder or undermine the credibility of constitutional institutions.
Responding to Singh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the Defence Minister needs to be reminded of what former President Pranab Mukherjee, who was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019, would often say about the job of the opposition in a democracy being to oppose, expose, and depose.
Singh had claimed that it appeared the Congress and its political allies, both directly and through supporting organisations, were trying to use youth energy to fuel political confrontation and spread anarchy instead of directing it toward constructive work and nation-building.
The youth of the country are being made pawns in the politics of anarchy, Singh said, alleging that the opposition wanted a change of government in India along the lines of Bangladesh. The ongoing exchange stems from Singh's assertions that the opposition encourages disorder and the Congress's insistence that challenging the government is a core democratic responsibility.