New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi on Wednesday criticised Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju’s remarks aimed at the Opposition, saying that it is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government which is “frustrated” and that it reflected in the alleged police brutality against student protesters during the July 20 Parliament march.

During an interview with IANS, Rijiju asserted that the Opposition lacks confidence after facing repeated defeats in several elections and hence resorts to venting frustration during the Parliament session.

Speaking to IANS, Imran Pratapgarhi said: “Kiren Rijiju is a gentleman. He is not realising where the country is now headed and how the students are angry with the government.”

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah did not come to the Parliament (during the Monsoon Session). It is the government’s frustration that the Prime Minister had to record videos at 1.30 a.m. and it is the frustration of the government only that pellet guns were used against student protesters, at about 300 metres from the Parliament and that AK-47s were used against them in Bihar,” he added.

He alleged that it is out of “frustration” that the government was not ready to listen to the students and rather wanted to impose its opinions on the latter.

“Since (Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha ) Rahul Gandhi is listening to the students’ demands, they (Centre) do not have anything else to say,” he remarked.

Pratapgarhi claimed that now, not only Gen Zs but even “Gen Alpha are hitting the streets and are seeking improvement in the school infrastructure”.

“The government which writes off loans of industrialists does not have the money to improve schools…we Congress leaders want to know whether the government can make the fee of competitive exam forms at Re 1? If they can’t, then the day is not far when the students will vote out this government,” he asserted.

Regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark made during his Independence Day address, Imran Pratapgarhi said: “The Prime Minister should speak with extreme caution. He is calling those students who are questioning the government ‘dimagi Naxals’. What can be more shameful than this?”

“Whether it is any author or historian, whoever questions or protests against the government is labelled as ‘dimagi Naxal’,” he claimed.

–IANS

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