Patna, Aug 28 — Amid youth-led agitations in various parts of the country, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party-Ram Vilas chief Chirag Paswan on Friday flagged his concerns, saying students' platforms should not be used for political purposes.
The Union Minister's remark came in reference to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron ki Goonj' events and Bihar Leader of Opposition and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav's meeting with student protesters in the state.
Speaking to IANS, Chirag Pawan said: "'Chhatron ki Goonj' is alright but my only concern is that the students' platform should not be used for political purposes. If you genuinely want to become the voice of students, you should take up their issues and work towards finding solutions. Merely creating a ruckus is not enough."
Referring to Tejashwi Yadav meeting students during an agitation over alleged inconsistencies in competitive exams in Bihar, Paswan said: "I have the same concern with the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar. You went and met the students, and I was very pleased to see that. That is the beauty of democracy. When the ruling party and the opposition come together and raise their voices, we can work towards finding a positive solution. But what did he do? He went there, clicked pictures with them, and then didn't have any contact with them. He should have communicated the demands (of the students) with the Chief Minister, who is the one taking decisions."
"I did that. I went to meet the students, then directly went to meet the Chief Minister at his residence, only to find a solution. Today the things have been resolved to an extent," he added.
The LJP-Ram Vilas chief also expressed condolences over the lives lost in Nepal flash floods, saying: "This is a deeply tragic incident for all of us, especially as it occurred around the festival of Raksha Bandhan. It is indeed a very painful time."
"Today, while I am extending wishes to my sisters here, my thoughts are with all those sisters who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy. Brothers have lost sisters, sisters have lost brothers, and families have been torn apart," he added.
Paswan underlined that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the country is making every possible effort to extend all kinds of help to the disaster-hit nation.
"Helpline has also been launched for those Indians who have gone missing in the tragedy...I pray that normalcy is restored soon in Nepal," he said.