Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ramesh Bidhuri sparked controversy after he claimed “puncture banane wale aur tala banane wale” (those who fix tyre punctures and locksmiths) outnumbered students at the Jantar Mantar protest last month against examination paper leaks.
The former MP from South Delhi was speaking on Sunday at a “Gen Z Sammelan” organised by the BJP on Mehrauli-Badarpur (MB) Road, Tughlaqabad. “Between 20,000 to 50,000 children had been misled or manipulated into joining the (Jantar Mantar) protest,” he said, adding, “Unemployed individuals and workers like puncture lagane wale and taala banane wale were present in greater numbers than students.”
“Can a son or daughter of India talk about Prime Minister Modi in such terms?” he further said, referring to the controversy over allegedly abusive language used against the PM at the stir.
Bidhuri said that the youngsters who had gathered at the BJP event were the “real Gen Z”.
‘Misguided Gen Z’
“The ones at Jantar Mantar were misguided Gen Z. They had not been made aware of the facts. Pictures of dead children were used to emotionally manipulate them. Once the protest was over these people were drunk in parties in five-star hotels,” he further said. He appeared to be talking about the students who allegedly died by suicide after the NEET paper leaked and the controversy over images of Cockroach Janta Party leaders, who led the protest, celebrating that went viral after the government agreed to their demands.
{{/usCountry}}“The ones at Jantar Mantar were misguided Gen Z. They had not been made aware of the facts. Pictures of dead children were used to emotionally manipulate them. Once the protest was over these people were drunk in parties in five-star hotels,” he further said. He appeared to be talking about the students who allegedly died by suicide after the NEET paper leaked and the controversy over images of Cockroach Janta Party leaders, who led the protest, celebrating that went viral after the government agreed to their demands.
{{/usCountry}}He further claimed that the Jantar Mantar movement was carried out “with the help of opposition to spread lawlessness in India”.
“Some anarchist elements gathered there, it was naked dance to derail democracy....there was an attempt to attack the Parliament. We have carried out this Gen Z sammelan to bring them on right path and to make them aware of what all has happened over last 12 years,” said Bidhuri.
Atishi, Congress MP slam Bidhuri
Sharing the video of Bidhuri’s speech, LOP and former Delhi CM Atishi said,“The day Ramesh Bidhuri is called for an outreach for GenZ, one knows that no one can save the BJP!.”
Congress MP Danish Ali posted on X, “Ramesh Bidhuri is part of that same hateful faction which, behind the public raising its voice for its rights, searches for the face of caste, religion, or profession.”
Not the first time Bidhuri has sparked row
This isn’t the first time Bidhuri has drawn criticism over his comments. As BJP candidate in Delhi Assembly elections last year, at a BJP rally in Rohini, he claimed his opponent, AAP leader Atishi, “had changed her father. He had also said, if elected, he would make roads like Congress leader “Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks”, with Gandhi calling his comments “ridiculous” later. In September 2023, he was condemned for hurling communal abuse and offensive slurs at Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Kunwar Danish Ali inside the Lok Sabha.