You should display Dipke’s photo in your office: Raut to Fadnavis

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday took a dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, suggesting that he display a photograph of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) convenor Abhijit Dipke in his office for making him aware of Gen Z and the issues concerning the younger generation.

Raut was responding to the BJP’s criticism of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ student outreach programme in Pune, which the party dubbed ‘Paise Ki Goonj’ and alleged involved payments to social media influencers to mobilise crowds.

“Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders should hang photos of Abhijeet Dipke. Because of him, they realised that there is a Gen Z,” Raut told reporters.

Fadnavis on Sunday participated in the ‘Manthan 4 Yuva’ event focused on Gen Z in Nagpur.

Raut also hit out at the BJP over its allegation that the Congress had paid influencers to mobilise students for Gandhi’s programme.

He questioned whether the Maharashtra government’s Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana, under which eligible women received Rs 1,500 per month, could similarly be described as a paid programme.

“If Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ was a paid programme, then what was the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin Yojana?” Raut asked.

The BJP had on Saturday dubbed Gandhi’s Pune student event ‘Paise Ki Goonj’, alleging that the Congress had paid social media influencers to bring crowds to the programme.

The Opposition rejected the allegation and accused the BJP of being concerned about the growing engagement of Gen Z with Gandhi and the Congress.

Raut’s remarks came as the political debate over youth outreach intensified in Maharashtra, with both the ruling alliance and Opposition seeking to engage with young voters.

The ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme in Pune was held on Saturday, with Gandhi interacting with students, particularly young women, on issues concerning education, employment and their participation in public life.