Delhi BJP Launches Yuva Samvad Outreach After GenZ Protests

The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a college outreach initiative titled "Yuva Samvad" on Sunday to directly interact with university students across New Delhi. Branded as "Gen-Z with Modi," the initiative aims to bridge communication gaps following recent GenZ protests at Jantar Mantar that put the BJP government under scrutiny and led to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

The inaugural event was led by Delhi BJP chief and Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra. During the interaction on Sunday, Malhotra met with several students from various universities and colleges across Delhi, as well as parents, to discuss youth views and national issues.

A senior BJP leader noted that the recent events highlighted a communication gap between the party and Gen-Z youth. The party stated that several similar outreach events will be organized across colleges and universities in the capital in the coming weeks to build direct engagement with young people.

Addressing the gathering, Malhotra called for positive dialogue with youth instead of creating divisions or misleading young people. He stated that interactive programmes provide young people with an opportunity to voice their opinions and express their views on issues related to nation-building, adding that their ideas, energy, and creative thinking will play a crucial role in building a Viksit Bharat.

The outreach effort follows large-scale GenZ protests at Jantar Mantar led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and activist Sonam Wangchuck, which drew thousands of young people. Following the unrest, the BJP issued a statement emphasizing that India has witnessed significant expansion in medical education and healthcare since 2014, creating greater opportunities for students through additional medical colleges, MBBS, and postgraduate seats.

The initiative met with criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party. AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of initial hostility towards the movement, alleging that the party had previously called CJP followers, activist Sonam Wangchuk, and Abhijeet Dipke Pakistani and Chinese agents. Bharadwaj noted that BJP ministers later met with the protest leaders, accepted all their demands, and addressed a joint press conference, claiming that the leaders escaped imprisonment only because lakhs of youngsters had joined the movement.