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Omar praises Mohan Bhagwat’s ‘Gen Z grievances genuine’ remark
The CM urged authorities to stop action against students who participated in the agitation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and said protesting against the government should not be equated with opposing the nation
Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday heaped praise on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat for his positive remarks that “Gen Z grievances are genuine and protesting doesn’t make them anti-national”.
Responding to media queries here, Abdullah said, “It’s good that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat made a distinction between opposing the government and acting against the country.”
“The good thing is that Mohan Bhagwat has acknowledged this distinction. Opposing the government is not the same as opposing the country. In fact, opposing the government is often beneficial for the nation because it helps rectify mistakes wherever they occur and it is not anti-national,” he said.
On Thursday while addressing a gathering of around 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha members at India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) 15th anniversary event in Mumbai, Bhagwat said, “If Gen Z members are agitating, they are not anti-national; they are our people. It is our next generation. You need a dialogue and rapport with them.”
Abdullah said that protesting against the government is not protesting against the nation. “It is their democratic right. The youth must be heard and engaged with, rather than being vilified. They have done nothing against the country. This must end,” he said.
The CM urged authorities to stop action against students who participated in the agitation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and said protesting against the government should not be equated with opposing the nation.
“We still hear that students are being intimidated with FIRs, and that they and their families are harassed on social media and bullied. All this should not happen,” he said. The CM said that the Gen Z agitation helped ensure accountability, which saw the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) “Sansad Chalo” protest march turned violent in New Delhi on July 20. Police said more than 118 police personnel, including several senior officers, were injured, and around 60 protesters also sustained injuries in the scuffle.
On July 25, the CJP called off its 36-day youth-led protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The agitation ended immediately after Pradhan resigned and the government agreed to key demands, including compensation for affected families and the withdrawal of FIRs against protesters.
On the situation in Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Abdullah expressed concern over reports of civilian casualties and called for an impartial investigation. “Pakistan should be reminded of the stand it took before the international community during the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir in 2008, 2010 and 2016, when it sought international attention over alleged human rights concerns. The same demand should now apply there. There should be an impartial investigation so that the truth comes out,” he said.
