Rajnath Singh accused Congress and its allies of fuelling anarchy through youth-led protests. Congress invoked Pranab Mukherjee to defend opposition as a democratic duty.
Congress Spokesperson Jairam Ramesh hit out at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. (Photo: ITG)
New Delhi,Oct 16, 2026 15:48 IST
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 the former President Pranab Mukherjee, who was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2019, would often say: the job of the Opposition in a democracy is to oppose, expose and depose," according to PTI.
Singh said it appeared that the Congress and its political allies, directly and through organisations supporting them, were trying to use the energy of young people to fuel political confrontation and spread anarchy instead of directing it towards constructive work and nation-building.
"The youth of the country are being made pawns in the politics of anarchy," Singh said. He alleged that the Congress and its allies wanted a change of government in India along the lines of Bangladesh.
The exchange centred on Singh’s allegations that the opposition was encouraging disorder and the Congress’s response that opposing, exposing and deposing a government was the opposition’s role in a democracy.
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