BJP backs Bhagwat's Gen Z remarks, Oppn flags rift between RSS, party

Barely a fortnight after sections of the Sangh Parivar sought to delegitimise the Gen Z-led movement over examination paper leaks and unemployment, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has struck a markedly different note, calling the protesters "honest", insisting they are not "anti-national" and describing their concerns as genuine.

The shift in tone comes after weeks of sustained youth mobilisation that forced the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and transformed a protest over examination leaks into a broader expression of frustration over unemployment, recruitment delays and institutional accountability. The movement, led largely by first-time voters and young aspirants, has emerged as one of the biggest political challenges to the BJP-led government since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at an interaction with Gen Z and Gen Alpha in Mumbai on Thursday, 6 August, Bhagwat went beyond defending the protests. He said he would trust Gen Z over older generations, described young Indians as more honest and argued that protest was a legitimate democratic tool that should not be equated with anti-national activity. He also backed the students' demand for greater investment in education, reiterating the long-standing call for spending equivalent to 6 per cent of GDP.

The conciliatory message stood in sharp contrast to the rhetoric employed by several prominent voices aligned with the ruling establishment during the protests.

Among the most vocal was BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who described videos from the demonstrations as "puke-inducing", questioned the upbringing of the protesters and labelled sections of Gen Z as "Generation Gutter". In remarks that triggered widespread criticism, she also targeted young women, calling them "ugly and corrupt" and suggesting they "can't even be homemakers".

Actor Mukesh Khanna, another prominent pro-establishment voice, had dismissed the agitation as "sponsored" and claimed it did not represent either students or Gen Z.

On Friday, however, Ranaut herself echoed Bhagwat's outreach, describing Gen Z as "the strength of our country" and praising young Indians as ambassadors of India's culture — a striking departure from her remarks during the protests.

The BJP also quickly rallied behind the RSS chief. Party national general-secretary Tarun Chugh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had consistently worked to help young Indians realise their aspirations, while BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi called Bhagwat's intervention "very responsible" and said concerns arising from the NEET paper leak needed to be addressed.

BJP MP Damodar Agarwal endorsed Bhagwat's assertion that the students' agitation was not anti-national, although he alleged that Opposition parties had attempted to exploit the movement for political purposes.

Opposition leaders, however, argued that Bhagwat's remarks exposed a clear contradiction between the RSS's current outreach and the narrative advanced by many BJP leaders during the protests.

Azad Samaj Party president Chandrashekhar Azad said several BJP and RSS functionaries had earlier sought to portray the demonstrators as anti-national. "A couple of days ago, an RSS office-bearer was saying that they were not protesters, they were anti-national elements. Several BJP leaders had raised questions over the protesters... The truth is that youth is angry and the biggest reason is unemployment," he said.

RJD MP Sanjay Yadav dismissed Bhagwat's remarks as "laughable", asking why the RSS chief had remained silent when students were allegedly baton-charged and fired upon during protests in Bihar. "Why did Mohan Bhagwat not speak out earlier?... Did he issue any statement or express any concern? No," Yadav said.

He alleged that the RSS frequently tested public opinion before recalibrating its position. "The character of the RSS is to throw a pebble into the water, observe how many ripples it creates, then take one step forward and a hundred steps back depending on the reaction... We would like to ask Mohan Bhagwat in what capacity he is making these remarks," he added.

The juxtaposition between Bhagwat's outreach and the rhetoric adopted by several BJP leaders over the past fortnight has fuelled Opposition claims that the Sangh Parivar is attempting to repair its image among younger voters after the Gen Z movement demonstrated an ability to shape the national political agenda. While the BJP has framed Bhagwat's remarks as consistent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on youth, critics see them as evidence that a strategy of dismissing or ridiculing the protesters has given way to one of engagement.