Ayodhya seers endorse Bhagwat's Gen Z remarks, urge caution against anti-social elements
Several seers in Ayodhya on Friday welcomed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's remarks on engaging with Gen Z, though some cautioned against violence and alleged the involvement of anti-social elements in recent protests over the alleged irregularities in the competitive examinations.
Bhagwat had on Thursday said the grievances of Gen Z were genuine and that young people participating in protests should not be labelled "anti-national", stressing that protest was a legitimate form of dialogue in a democracy.
Mahant Shashikant Das, president of Saryu Nitya Aarti, said Bhagwat's statement was "partially correct", arguing that movements often emerge when people's concerns are not heard.
He, however, said protests should remain peaceful and expressed opposition to any "anti-national activities" during demonstrations. He also alleged that anti-social elements sometimes join protests and receive political patronage.
Kalki Ram, president of Ramadal Trust, alleged that such scenes emerge due to "international conspiracies" and claimed that disruptive elements had participated in protests in the name of students. He urged the Centre to take strict action against such elements.
Dr Deveshacharya, chief priest of Hanumangarhi, extended full support to Bhagwat's remarks, saying the youth were the future of the country.
"It is unfortunate that there is no dialogue with the youth. The government should directly discuss issues concerning education and employment with them," he said, adding that dialogue could reduce anger among young people and help channel their energies towards nation-building.
A Class 12 student, Ankur Sonkar, who participated in a school protest in Fatehpur over inadequate basic facilities, including drinking water, also supported Bhagwat's remarks.
"I agree with what Mohan Bhagwat has said, but the government should also pay heed to it and listen to the demands of children. The violence that took place against protesting students in Delhi should not be repeated," Sonkar told PTI.
UP BJP general secretary Abhijaat Mishra said the RSS has always followed the principle of "Nation First" and asserted that Gen Z would benefit from the advice of the RSS chief.
"I hope and trust the spirit behind the advice reaches one and all so that our nation progresses and we attain our rightful place as global thought leaders," Mishra said.
However, opposition parties criticised the RSS outreach.
UP Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam told PTI that the RSS has realised that Gen Z "can't be pushed back, forced into silence" and described the latest outreach attempt as "too little, too late".
Gautam accused the RSS of "infiltrating" universities and campuses with its ideology and said the outreach came after it became clear that young people could not simply be ignored.
Samajwadi Party Chandauli MP Virendra Singh also dismissed the initiative.
"It's futile. The RSS now has virtually started acting like a political party. The writing is very much on the wall," he said.
Bhagwat's remarks came during an interaction with around 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha members at the 15th anniversary event of the India International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) in Mumbai.
He had said that if concerns were not addressed through dialogue, people could resort to agitation, but stressed that the objective should be consensus-building rather than creating divisions.
