'If you have an issue, contest elections': Kangana Ranaut on protest politics

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on July 20 said Parliament is the proper platform to debate public issues and hold the government accountable, while criticising protests that seek the removal or appointment of individuals outside the democratic process.

Speaking to reporters at the Parliament complex on the opening day of the Monsoon Session, Ranaut said parliamentary proceedings should be allowed to function so that elected representatives can raise issues and seek answers from the government.

"The Parliament session is held so that we can discuss all issues in detail and the government can be held accountable and provide answers. We want the session to function and to raise our questions there," she said.

Her remarks come amid ongoing protests in the national capital, including demonstrations by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been demanding accountability over alleged failures in the education system and examination paper leaks.

Ranaut criticised attempts to disrupt public order through protests, saying such actions were not the appropriate way to pursue political demands.

"However, creating a ruckus and causing disruption, as is happening with these protests, is not right," she said.

The BJP MP emphasised that governments derive their authority through elections and argued that those seeking political change should do so through the democratic process.

"The people have elected a government, and it is their right to decide how to run it. If you have an issue, you should contest elections and come to power," she said.

She also rejected demands for the government to remove or appoint individuals based on public protests.

"You cannot simply demand that the government remove someone or appoint someone else. This kind of protest is not appropriate," Ranaut said.

Her comments come as Parliament's Monsoon Session begins amid heightened political activity, with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition expected to spar over several contentious issues inside the House.