Union Minister Kiren Rijiju speaks on minorities, Parliament, opposition conduct and democratic functioning at India Manch conclave
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju (Image: File)
“I myself am a minority. Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis — all are minorities. Give me one example where a minority was forced to flee India out of fear. That does not happen here,” Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju said while speaking at the India News Manch 2025. “I am not Hindu, yet I say minorities in India feel safe and proud. Compare this with Pakistan or Bangladesh. In India, minorities feel no insecurity. Being Indian is a matter of pride.”
A: Look, in a democracy, the Opposition has a role to play, and they are playing that role. I have no objection to that. My objection arises only when Parliament does not function. If Parliament does not debate and discuss issues, people are watching, and the credibility of politics, its quality, and public trust all suffer. Parliament must function. There must be debate. We may have differences of opinion on many issues, and that is perfectly fine. In a democracy, everyone has the right to express their views. But when there is a deadlock and Parliament cannot function, that makes me unhappy. In the last session, we passed a lot of business and several important Bills. From the government’s point of view, it was good. But there was not as much discussion on every Bill as there should have been, and that is not good for democracy. If I look at it selfishly, purely from the government’s perspective, we have a majority and can pass Bills anyway. But that is not healthy for democracy. This time, the first two days were wasted. After that, Opposition leaders also acted with maturity. We gave space, allowed the discussions they demanded, and proper debate took place. Now things are running well. Today, for instance, the Lok Sabha will function till 11 or 12. When Parliament runs smoothly, my stress reduces.
A: Nothing is difficult if you work with dedication. No minister works alone; there is a full team — secretaries, IAS officers from different services, personal staff, and experts. When I worked as Earth Sciences Minister, scientists advised me. In Sports, players still remember the work we did. Programmes like Khelo India and Fit India were the Prime Minister’s vision; I only implemented them. Ayush Ministry was a very good experience. In Earth Sciences, I even went near the Arctic Circle, close to the North Pole — a lifetime experience. As Law Minister, we worked on judicial reforms. I spent five years in the Home Ministry. Every ministry has its own strengths. If you work with heart, nothing is difficult.
A: My clear belief is that private conversations should not be made public. Even now, we hold meetings with Congress leaders and others, but I do not usually make those conversations public. Rahul Gandhi, as Leader of the Opposition, meets us regularly. Ideologically we are very different, but we are Members of Parliament — colleagues, not enemies. When Parliament is not in session and we meet elsewhere, conversations are cordial. It was Ambedkar Jayanti. Rahul Gandhi often wears T-shirts, so I asked him whether he doesn’t feel cold. What he replied, I won’t share. Then he invited me to his gym. I joked that I wouldn’t use his gym — it scares me. These were light conversations. Someone recorded it and made it viral. We may be political opponents, but not enemies.
A: There is nothing “challenging” as such. The difficulty arises only when people do not follow rules or behave in an uncivilised manner. If behaviour is uncultured, then it becomes difficult to deal with. Otherwise, this is democracy — they speak, we respond. I am convinced that deep down, MPs do not see each other as enemies.
A: They will say that. Let me say something blunt. When you keep losing elections, like repeatedly failing an exam, questions arise. If you have no answers, you look for excuses. Congress is a family-run party where power rests with one family. To divert questions after repeated defeats, they blame processes and institutions. This may work within their party, but not nationally. Truth cannot be hidden. I have fought seven elections. If you win people’s hearts, you don’t need excuses. But if you lose repeatedly and still want tickets, you will keep making excuses. Criticise if you want, but do not weaken democracy.
A: Earlier, I too had misconceptions about RSS. In the Northeast, we were told RSS was a North Indian, cow-belt organisation. I went and saw for myself. I realised RSS is one of the most patriotic organisations in the country. If RSS people are present anywhere, it is good for the nation. I am not Hindu, so I observed closely. I am a nationalist. My village was occupied by China in 1962. RSS workers came and worked for unity. BJP, inspired by RSS, gave voices to border states like Arunachal in Delhi. That is why I joined BJP. I am the second Buddhist and minority Law Minister after Babasaheb Ambedkar, 71 years later. BJP and Prime Minister Modi made that possible. Decentralisation under Modi allowed people like me from border areas to rise.
A: I said this in Parliament too — we are not enemies, so why wish death upon someone? A responsible Congress office-bearer raised such slogans. If someone from our party did this, the Prime Minister would immediately reprimand them. In 2014, one of our MPs used an improper word. PM Modi ordered him to apologise in Parliament, which he did. Congress did not even condemn such slogans. This is unacceptable in a civil society.
A: How can I give tips on winning elections? I have struggled all my life. Hard work matters. Discipline, hard work and working for the nation — these three are essential. Without discipline, nothing works. Physical fitness is one thing; discipline is another. You cannot sit in Parliament for two hours and then disappear for four days. Discipline and hard work are essential.
A: I myself am a minority. Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis — all are minorities. Give me one example where a minority was forced to flee India out of fear. That does not happen here. I am not Hindu, yet I say minorities in India feel safe and proud. Compare this with Pakistan or Bangladesh. In India, minorities feel no insecurity. Being Indian is a matter of pride.
A: Even Muslims will not support this. If anyone tries to disturb harmony, it will not succeed. India is largely secular by character and belief. A few individuals cannot change that.
