Omar backs Bhagwat’s remarks, says Gen Z protests are not anti-national

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday endorsed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks that Generation Z’s grievances are genuine and that protesting does not make them anti-national.

Referring to Mohan Bhagwat’s remark, the chief minister said it was encouraging that a distinction was made between opposing the Government and acting against the country.

“The good thing is that Mohan Bhagwat ji 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 correct mistakes wherever they occur,” 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 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.

Abdullah said the agitation helped ensure accountability, expressing hope that it would lead to improvements in the conduct of future examinations.

Expressing concern over reports of action against the protesters, Abdullah said students were allegedly being manhandled, booked in criminal cases and harassed on social media.

In some instances, police reportedly summoned their relatives. “I believe this entire course of action should stop,” he said.