6 days ago
BJP Leader Calls Youth Protests Democratic, Champions India-Nepal Ties
Ravi Shankar Prasad said young people protesting is a normal part of democracy.
He said governments should listen to protesters and have fair ways to solve their concerns.
He compared India and Nepal with places where protesters are allegedly being killed.
Prasad said India wants to treat Nepal as an equal and friendly country.
He said India is helping Nepal after major floods.
The assistance includes repairing bridges, medical support and disaster-response workers.
He also suggested a railway connecting Ayodhya in India with Janakpur in Nepal.
He said the two countries can grow closer through culture, tourism and business.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said youth protests are a natural part of democracy, with national stability judged by how authorities respond.
He contrasted India and Nepal’s handling of youth unrest with alleged violence against protesters in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan.
Prasad said India would assist Nepal after severe flooding, including through bridge repairs, medical aid and a National Disaster Response Force team.
He proposed stronger India-Nepal connections through an Ayodhya-Janakpur rail link, religious tourism, cultural ties and economic cooperation.
Prasad said India and Nepal should find a solution to restrictions affecting Nepali Gorkha recruitment under the Agnipath scheme.
- Who
- Ravi Shankar Prasad, a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union minister, discussed the issues.
- What
- He spoke about youth protests, India-Nepal relations, flood assistance, Gorkha recruitment and regional security.
- Where
- The interview was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, at an NDTV summit.
- When
- The interview took place on Thursday; Prasad also referred to flooding in Nepal earlier that week.
- Why
- Prasad said youth concerns require institutional responses and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation and support between India and Nepal.
Key facts
- Speaker
- Ravi Shankar Prasad, senior BJP leader and former Union minister
- Event
- NDTV summit in Kathmandu
- Democratic protests
- Prasad described some youth protest as integral to democracy and emphasized institutional responses.
- Nepal flood assistance
- He said Indian personnel were repairing bridges and that medical aid and a National Disaster Response Force team were in Nepal.
- Proposed connection
- Prasad backed a rail link between Ayodhya and Janakpur to promote tourism.
- Gorkha recruitment
- He said India and Nepal could find a solution to issues linked to Nepali recruitment under the Agnipath scheme.
- Future cooperation
- He identified climate management in the Himalayan hills as a major area for cooperation.
Quotes
Ravi Shankar Prasad
BJP leader and former Union minister
“The best thing we have done now, in dealing with the present tragedy, is just let the people of Nepal decide how we can assist them; it's not as if we are forcing anything on anybody. That should be the approach.”
NDTV
“Some degree of young protest is always integral to a democracy. But the maturity of the country depends upon how you handle it. That is very important.”
NDTV
Sources
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