‘Why blame anyone? Democracy allows protests’: BJP leader Ram Madhav on Gen Z protests

BJP leader Ram Madhav defended young protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, dismissing efforts to label or blame them. He emphasized that protests are a legitimate way for citizens to voice their concerns in a democracy. Madhav questioned the need to categorize young protesters into groups like Gen Z, millennials, or Gillennials, arguing that such divisions only serve to distract from addressing their grievances.

The July 20 protest, organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), initially remained peaceful but turned violent following a police crackdown, with allegations of lathis, tear gas, and pellet gun usage leading to injuries. Despite the unrest, the protest was called off on July 25 following assurances from the government on some demands.

These included the replacement of former Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the withdrawal of police cases against students with clean records. Pradhan was eventually replaced by Pralhad Joshi. Madhav noted that the protesters acknowledged the government's response and subsequently withdrew calls for further demonstrations, expressing satisfaction with how the government addressed their demands.