NEW DELHI: Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib described Gen Z as a “brave” generation, claiming that they do not fall into the BJP’s trap and whatever thing they (BJP leaders) speak, this generation doesn’t believe it and do their own research.
In an interview with The New Indian Express, Chib said he was proud of his colleagues who stood up and protested at Bharat Mandapam during the AI Summit earlier this year and alleged that the BJP alone was responsible for creating this atmosphere because they had completely taken away the space for them to protest.
Asked what they are doing in Punjab ahead of the state election scheduled for next year, he stated, “In Punjab, right now we are only raising one issue, paper leak, that one against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). We are demanding the resignation of the state’s Education Minister. We have protested in Chandigarh and will now do it in all 12 districts.”
Chib stated that he has said many times that the issues being raised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the paper leak matter, are completely right.
“We were also seeking Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation for a long time, protesting in different states. Rahul Gandhi was also speaking inside and outside Parliament. So, the cause is the same and we support this issue (paper leak issue), we are with them,” he said.
The IYC chief said everyone has their own way of expressing themselves.
“They have their own opinion and we have our own. But education reforms are needed in the country. Our country's education system needs to be accountable. Accountability of schools, teachers should be there,” he said.
Chib stated that Gandhi is being called Batman because for the last 12 years there has been consistency in his work.
For the last 12 years, consistently, the youth of the country, the people of the country, wherever the BJP government is suppressing them, Gandhi is working to become their shield and raise their issues, he said.
“This is the result of that consistency. Whether it is the response to ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Prayagraj, in Pune, or the ‘Batman’ title, all of it is happening because Rahul Gandhi has been working continuously and consistently,” Chib said.
“Today, young people see him (Rahul) as a source of hope in the country. That kind of trust and connection does not happen overnight. CJP’s reach is very much on social media, that doesn't mean that we weren't working hard on this issue before them, we are working hard on this issue and we are working hard on other issues too,” he said, adding that they are also trying to connect with the Gen Z through different modes.
The IYC chief stated that the Gen Zs are not scared.
“This new generation is very brave. This youth of today, the best thing is that they don't fall into their (BJP’s) trap. Whatever they (BJP leaders) speak, they don't believe it. The credit goes to the youth who came out on the street and only then are Narendra Modi and Amit Shah on the back foot,” Chib said.
On the AI Summit shirtless protest, Chib said that it was the best part.
“If someone had asked Bhagat Singh the same question, why did he have to throw a bomb inside Parliament? He could have thrown it outside the gate as well. The situation today and the situation in February are worlds apart,” he said.
“Back then, the fear of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah was there. No one could even imagine doing something like this at that time. Yet our young colleagues from the Congress had the courage to do it. The four people who were arrested were subjected to severe torture by the police. What was their crime?” he added.
“They were not saying, 'India is compromised.' They were saying, 'The PM is compromised.' The prime minister is not the country, and by saying that, the IYC did not damage the image of the nation. At that time, it felt new and shocking because, for the first time, people were openly saying that the Prime Minister was compromised. It was a time, just six months earlier, when no one could even imagine that someone could take on the government one-on-one like that,” Chib continued.
“We wanted to express our opposition, and it seemed like the perfect place to do it. The BJP alone was responsible for creating this atmosphere because they had completely taken away the space for us to protest. They would not allow us to take our protests to the streets; they would detain us whenever we tried. We had to find a way to express our dissent, and that seemed like the perfect place to do it. Even today, I feel proud of my colleagues who stood up and protested there -- and who did so for the farmers of the country,” Chib said.