Kiren Rijiju, who holds the Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs portfolios, attacked the Opposition during a Friday appearance on NDTV's 'People's Sansad' with host Padmaja Joshi. He rejected their grievances as mere tantrums from politicians unable to secure votes. "There is no point being a 'naraaz fufa'," Rijiju said, directing the jab at rivals who he claims stay angry only because the public has consistently rejected their platforms in favor of the BJP. The comment lands in a heated political climate where narrative control becomes as vital as policy execution.
The minister used the platform to pivot toward infrastructure achievements, specifically highlighting the Northeast. He pointed to the establishment of a semiconductor facility in the region—a project he described as "unthinkable" just a few years prior. "We have established critical infrastructure, including highways, and border areas are now also connected through national highways," Rijiju stated. He argued that the combination of hard infrastructure, like airports, and soft infrastructure, such as education and health, is finally retaining local talent. Previously, the region's youth had to migrate elsewhere due to a lack of opportunities, but the minister insists this is changing.
Rijiju linked these developmental strides directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, praising the PM's discipline and fitness regime. He recounted how Modi initiated the 'Fit India' movement after his tenure as Youth Affairs minister, emphasizing that physical health is a prerequisite for national progress. "India is the fastest-growing economy in the world," he asserted, suggesting that the youth vote for Modi because they see him as the only leader capable of realizing the 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) goal by 2047. For the student audience present, the message was clear: stay in the Northeast, build the country, and stop listening to the 'fufas'.
The Opposition is expected to respond to the 'naraaz fufa' remark, likely framing it as a dismissal of legitimate policy critiques. As the election season intensifies, such personal attacks aim to polarize the voter base, contrasting the BJP's 'development' narrative with the Opposition's 'grievance' narrative. The next move will likely come from the opposition leaders, who may counter-accuse Rijiju of ignoring regional disparities despite the infrastructure claims.