New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday came in support of party National Vice President Ram Madhav’s remarks that the number of Gen Zs “is the highest in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh”, terming it a “factual reality”, even as the Opposition hit back, saying that the youth “don’t have faith” on the BJP or its affiliated organisations.
“Outside of BJP, there’s RSS, which is the most powerful youth organisation in the country. The so-called Gen Z is in the largest number in RSS. They are in very big numbers in Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP),” Madhav told NDTV, underlining that Gen Z is not limited to the youth who were seen protesting at Jantar Mantar.
Speaking to IANS, BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash said: “This is absolutely true. What might have been the number at Jantar Mantar…around 5,000-10,000. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad is the oldest and largest student organisation in the world. The Bharatiya Janata Party is the largest party in the world, and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha is our largest youth-based organisation.”
“Apart from BJYM and ABVP, all other organisations like ‘Sanskaar Bharti’ or ‘Vishwa Samvad Kendra’, there is a large number of youth participation in all these affiliated branches…this is a factual reality,” he asserted.
BJP MP Brij Lal echoed similar sentiment, saying: “In the Sangh ‘shakhas’, you will see young children who have a sense of nationalism. And what is the RSS? It talks about nationalism; it does not talk about religion or caste. That is why the youth have understood this today. They (Opposition and Cockroach Janta Party) tried to provoke them and created a false narrative, and under the guise of this they incited vandalism. The entire country witnessed it.”
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal also backed Madhav, saying: “PM Modi was the first to recognise the power of the youth and acknowledged them by extending support to startups…our government is committed to working for the hope and aspirations of the youth.”
However, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand hit out at Madhav’s remarks, saying that Gen Z “does not have even one per cent trust in the BJP, its affiliated organisations or those associated with them”.
“Gen Z knows who is fighting for their rights and who is the one taking away those. Therefore, the Samajwadi Party does not want to comment on the BJP and its affiliated organisations,” he told IANS.
According to Congress MP Imran Masood, the Jantar Mantar agitation “was just a trailer”.
“Every youth of the country is frustrated right now…their future is being destroyed and they (BJP) are saying that the youth are with them!” he said.
(IANS)
