'Politician calling Gen Z to protest is doing disservice': Deora
What's the story
Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora has indirectly criticized a recent call for India's youth to protest, which was made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Speaking at the NDTV Yuva 2025 summit, Deora said, "Any politician who might be calling on Gen Z to go out and protest on the streets and create mayhem is doing a disservice to them." He added that such calls are unlikely to be taken seriously by young people.
Protest appeal
Gandhi's earlier appeal to youth
Gandhi had earlier urged India's youth, students, and Gen Z to "save the Constitution, protect democracy, and stop 'vote chori.'" His appeal came after he released a PowerPoint presentation accusing the Election Commission and Bharatiya Janata Party of colluding in voter fraud. He claimed that a centralized software mass-deleted voters' names from Congress strongholds in Karnataka before the 2023 state elections.
Official rebuttal
BJP, Election Commission reject Gandhi's claims
The Election Commission rejected Gandhi's allegations as "baseless," asserting that it's impossible for the public to delete names from voter rolls. The Bharatiya Janata Party also slammed Gandhi, with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju saying he must accept his leadership of Congress has "failed." Rijiju added that this failure led to several electoral defeats and India's youth shifting their support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Youth issues
Address Gen Z's concerns, warns Deora
Deora stressed the importance of addressing Gen Z's concerns, which include jobs, air pollution, and education. He said these issues should be addressed by whichever party is in power to prevent unrest. "If their aspirations are not channeled, it becomes restlessness... and if that is not addressed, it can become mayhem," he warned.