Kashmir Impulse Desk
Jammu, Aug 7
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday backed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comments that grievances expressed by Generation Z protesters should not automatically be treated as anti-national activity.
Abdullah said Bhagwat’s remarks recognised the distinction between criticism of a government and opposition to the country.
“Opposing the government is not the same as opposing the country,” Abdullah said.
Bhagwat made the comments at an event in Mumbai attended by about 2,000 members of Generation Z and Generation Alpha, where he said young protesters should not be labelled anti-national and called for dialogue with them.
Abdullah urged authorities to stop what he described as action against students who had protested over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination.
He said the protests had helped bring greater scrutiny to the examination process and expressed hope that they would result in improvements in future examinations.
The chief minister voiced concern over reports that some protesters had been manhandled, booked in criminal cases or targeted on social media. He also referred to reports that police had summoned relatives of some students.
“I believe this entire course of action should stop,” he said.
Abdullah also urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to engage with students protesting there, saying dialogue would help address their concerns and establish whether any wrongdoing had occurred.
