Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Maharashtra) [India], August 7 : Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) Founder Abhijeet Dipke, on Friday, welcomed RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement in defense of 'Gen Z' and called upon him to ensure that the BJP leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi stop labelling protesting students as "anti-nationals."
His remarks came a day after RSS chief Bhagwat interacted with Gen Z and Gen Alpha during a session at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai, where he stated that the younger generation has a right to protest over genuine issues and should not be branded as anti-national.
Talking to ANI, Dipke said, "The most significant statement made by Mohan Bhagwat yesterday was that Gen Z should not be called anti-nationals. He stated that protesting is their right and their issues are genuine. I completely agree with this."
The CJP founder urged Bhagwat to use his influence as a mentor to the ruling party to change the political discourse surrounding student agitations.
"Since Mohan Bhagwat is, in a way, a mentor to the BJP and a godfather-like figure to Narendra Modi ji, I want him to convey this same message to the BJP leaders and Narendra Modi ji--that they should stop labelling these students and the youth as anti-nationals," Dipke remarked.
He further alleged that several senior BJP members have used disparaging language against students in the past.
"It is the BJP members themselves who are calling them anti-nationals. Dharmendra Pradhan had called them the 'B-team of terrorists,' and Nitin Nabin called them a 'virus.' I hope they will now listen to Mohan Bhagwat ji and heed his words, as it is unlikely that the BJP would go against the RSS and say anything contrary. If they did, the RSS would have to reflect on the fact that the BJP is ignoring even Mohan Bhagwat," he added.
Addressing the RSS Chief's concerns regarding the circulation of misleading videos on social media, Dipke supported the call for a thorough investigation.
"This should definitely be investigated. If you look closely, the maximum number of fake videos originate from the IT Cell. So, I want Mohan Bhagwat's suggestion to be accepted; an investigation should be conducted to determine which videos are genuine and which are fake," Dipke stated.
Dipke also expressed full solidarity with the ongoing students' protest in Jharkhand.
He said, "We extend our full support to the protest. Our delegation has already reached there; our people are distributing food to the protesters. We stand firmly with them and support all their demands... I, too, intend to go... Although I am currently dealing with some health issues... Many students are stepping forward to protest. I believe they are leaders in their own right and deserve visibility. It isn't necessary for Abhijit to be at the forefront everywhere. They are doing the work, too, and deserve equal recognition... We don't want the credit to go solely to CJP. We want students to step up and protest themselves. We want them to fight for their rights and for the country's education system."
Reiterating his stance, he further added, "We will continue to operate as a pressure group because the greatest need in this country is to demand accountability. When the citizens of this country come together to demand accountability, then they will surely get it, as they got the resignation."