RSS Chief: Gen Z Not Anti-National

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has stated that Gen Z is not anti-national, sparking a reaction from opposition parties who question the BJP's actions against young protesters. The Congress and NCP have accused the ruling party of practicing double standards, highlighting contradictions between Bhagwat's statements and BJP leaders' remarks.

The Telangana BJP president, N. Ramchander Rao, has challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to visit Telangana and listen to students' concerns. Rao alleged that nearly 20 lakh SC, ST, BC, and EBC students in Telangana are suffering due to delays in fee reimbursement payments, with the outstanding amount ranging between ₹10,000 crore and ₹12,000 crore.

In a separate development, BJP MP Baijayant Panda has listed a private member's Bill in the Lok Sabha to ban social media for children under 13 years of age. The Bill proposes a penalty of up to ₹10 crore for intermediaries that fail to comply with the Act.

The Udupi district unit of the BJP has demanded a high-level probe into alleged irregularities in the functioning of Sanjeevini women’s self-help groups (SHGs) in the district, with alleged misappropriation of more than ₹80 lakh reported in three SHG unions.

Context The opposition parties' criticism of the BJP's actions against young protesters comes amid ongoing debates about citizens' privacy, economic burden, and governance accountability. The BJP-led Union government has been accused of using the pretext of introducing amendment Bills to enact measures that infringe upon citizens' privacy and increase their economic burden, while shirking accountability.