Nothing can stop the youth of India: Chirag Paswan

Union Minister Chirag Paswan threw his weight behind the youth protest scheduled for Saturday (October 10, 2026), while adding that there needs to be dialogue to resolve the current crisis. He also accused Opposition parties of politicising the issue.

Responding to questions about the government clampdown ahead of Saturday’s protest, including the cancellation of trains headed to Delhi, internet shutdowns and the closure of Metro stations, Mr. Paswan said, “These are the youth of India. Nothing can stop them.” He was speaking to media at the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management, Kundli (NIFTEM-K) in Sonepat, Haryana, on Friday (October 9, 2026), where he was attending the institution’s 7th convocation ceremony.

He asked, “How many trains can be stopped and for how many days, how many roads can be blocked? Can it really hold them (youth protesters) back?”

The young, Mr. Paswan said, must be heard, citing his ongoing campaign, ‘Youth Bole Toh’, through which, he said, he provides a platform to all shades of opinion, including agreement and disagreement, and listens to Gen Z’s concerns, suggestions and grievances.

“I may agree or disagree, but we engage in dialogue so that we can ultimately arrive at a solution. So, regarding the call made for tomorrow, I believe there should be a dialogue so that we can move towards a positive decision,” he said.

The Cockroach Janta Party, joined by Left student unions, farmers’ organisations and other groups, has called for a protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday.

In a democracy, the Union Minister from Bihar said, there is always space for protest. However, referring specifically to the Opposition’s demonstrations over the last three days, Mr. Paswan said: “If your sole objective is merely to protest, then go ahead... But protests alone will not yield a solution; dialogue will. If you wanted to prove a point, you did that on day one. But to what extent is it justifiable to repeatedly block Delhi’s roads and cause such distress to its citizens? You are doing this for the sake of politics. You are unable to win elections, so you are harassing ordinary citizens.”

He expressed confidence in Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying that Mr. Kumar would be ready to answer questions. Instead of organising protest marches, had the Opposition sought an appointment with the Election Commission of India, it would have received answers to all its questions, he said.

“The point is, they do not actually want a solution. They simply want to create a ruckus every day, something they have been doing continuously for the past three days,” he said.