'How many trains can anyone stop?' Chirag Paswan on CJP protest

• Paswan says transport curbs cannot stop young people from making their voices heard.

• The Union minister urges dialogue with the CEC instead of road blockades.

• His remarks follow criticism of Bihar’s NDA government and calls for the CEC to address doubts over elections.

Union minister Chirag Paswan has said transport restrictions cannot stop India’s youth from making their voices heard, as cancellations of Delhi-bound trains ahead of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) planned protest on 10 October raise questions over access to the national capital.

Speaking in Sonipat, Haryana, Paswan said young people had the capacity to show the world the way and could not be held back by attempts to disrupt connectivity. His remarks came amid the cancellation of several train services to and from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations ahead of the demonstration demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

"These are the youth of India — nothing can stop them. To those attempting to spread these misconceptions, I ask: how many trains can anyone really stop? How much connectivity can be blocked? How many roads can be jammed?" Paswan said.

The minister added that India’s youth had the ability to lead the way, as previous generations had done, and insisted that "nothing can hold them back".

Paswan, however, also argued that protests should not become a means of inconveniencing the public. Speaking about the CJP’s call for a demonstration, he said while protests were an essential part of democracy, a resolution would come through dialogue rather than by blocking roads in Delhi. He suggested that political parties send a delegation to meet the chief election commissioner and put forward their concerns.

The remarks place Paswan in a politically delicate position. As a minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), a key constituent of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he has increasingly sought to establish an independent voice on contentious issues.

Late last month, Paswan questioned the Bihar NDA government’s handling of law and order following incidents of sexual violence and other crimes. He said he felt "ashamed" to support a government where crime had gone out of control, arguing that the police and administration were failing to ensure public safety. The remarks drew a sharp response from Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who challenged Paswan to take further action if he was so ashamed.

Paswan has also broken ranks with the ruling alliance on electoral questions. After reports of differences within the Election Commission of India (ECI) over key decisions, he said chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had a responsibility to clarify his position and reassure the public about the electoral process. "It is problematic if people begin to doubt electoral process itself," he said in an interview published by the Indian Express on 26 September.

His latest comments therefore come against the backdrop of both an Opposition campaign challenging the ECI and his own recent criticism of governments led by the NDA.

The CJP’s proposed demonstration is aimed at demanding Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Delhi Police has denied permission for the protest, citing the short notice, alleged non-compliance with conditions imposed during an earlier demonstration and law-and-order concerns.

Meanwhile, the Railways has cancelled several mail and express services scheduled to arrive at or depart from New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations between 4.00 am and 2.00 pm on 10 October, citing anticipated severe congestion around the stations. The affected services include the Howrah–New Delhi and Sealdah–New Delhi Rajdhani Express trains.