Sonipat, Oct 9 (PTI) Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Friday accused opposition parties of inconveniencing the public by repeatedly blocking roads in Delhi in the name of protests, alleging that their objective was political rather than finding a solution to their concerns over the electoral process.
“Solution will not come from protest, it will come through dialogue,” Paswan told reporters on the sidelines of the seventh convocation of the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Kundli, in Haryana.
He said opposition parties should approach the Election Commission and seek answers if they had genuine concerns about the electoral process.
“All I want to know and understand is if protest is their only motive, then they can do it and go on,” he said, adding that if the opposition wanted to make a point, it had already done so on the first day of the protest.
Paswan, the chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), acknowledged that every political party had the democratic right to protest peacefully but questioned whether the opposition was genuinely interested in resolving its concerns.
“Repeatedly blocking Delhi roads and putting citizens to inconvenience is not justified. They are doing this for their politics. They are not able to win election, for that they are inconveniencing common people,” he said.
He alleged that the opposition did not want a resolution and was instead intent on continuing its protests, which had been underway for the past three days.
Opposition MPs of the INDIA bloc have been protesting in Delhi, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Last week, the INDIA bloc finalised a joint action plan over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) row, which includes rallies and “Save Democracy” marches.
Asked about his party’s plans for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Paswan said the LJP (Ram Vilas) was preparing to contest all 403 seats but had not yet decided whether it would enter the fray in an alliance.
“We are making our preparations for 403 seats. At national level, our alliance is with NDA and in Bihar with NDA. In addition, we fought election in some states including Jharkhand and Delhi,” he said.
The party had contested elections independently in Nagaland, where it has two MLAs, he added.
“In this backdrop, I do not know whether we will fight in alliance or not in UP. But I believe that in UP the LJP will present itself as one more alternative, especially as voice of youth, we will present ourselves,” Paswan said.
Earlier, addressing the convocation, the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries described India’s food processing sector as one of the country’s most promising sectors, saying it would play a pivotal role in employment generation, entrepreneurship, farmers’ incomes and food security in the coming years.
Urging students not to restrict themselves to seeking jobs, he encouraged them to become entrepreneurs, innovators and solution providers who could create employment opportunities.
He said the food processing sector had “limitless potential” to improve quality, promote value addition, strengthen farmers’ economic position and generate jobs on a large scale.
Paswan noted that India had vast agricultural production, diverse food traditions and a massive consumer market. By effectively leveraging these strengths, the country could establish itself globally as a “Global Food Basket”, he said.
For this, he stressed the need to bring food value chains, technology and processing infrastructure closer to villages and farms.
He also encouraged students to move beyond conventional thinking, embrace new technologies and develop solutions to existing challenges, assuring them of the government’s support for new ideas and innovation.
Emphasising the importance of quality, Paswan said the quality of Indian products was not merely a matter of a company’s or brand’s reputation but was also linked to the global image of “Brand India”.
At the convocation, degrees were conferred on 260 students, while outstanding performers were honoured with gold medals. PTI SUN NB
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