Saturday, March 29, 2025
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday invoked India’s Gen Z in his ongoing “vote chori” (vote-theft) campaign, saying the country’s youth will defend the Constitution, protect democracy and stop alleged electoral fraud. The BJP responded sharply, warning Gandhi to “be ready to leave the country,” and accusing him of courting a Nepal-style youth movement that toppled a government there.
Speaking at a fresh press conference detailing his claims of mass voter deletion, Gandhi said his allegations are backed by “100 per cent proof” and demanded answers from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. After the briefing he posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“The nation’s youth, the nation’s students, the nation’s Gen Z, will defend the Constitution, protect democracy and stop vote theft. I always stand with them. Jai Hind!”
The BJP moved quickly to counter. Nishikant Dubey, a senior BJP leader, mocked Gandhi’s appeal to Gen Z as hypocritical and tied it to anti-dynasty sentiment. In a post on X, Dubey attacked Congress’s family legacy and suggested the youth could force the party “to leave the country,” invoking the recent youth-led protests in Nepal and Bangladesh as examples.
Dubey later told ANI that Gen Z represents the next generation which “wants to decide about their nation and change the government.” He also accused Gandhi of trying to “instigate” unrest and blamed Congress for past corruption, claiming there have been no scams under the current BJP government.
Observers say the exchange highlights rising political polarization ahead of key electoral moments. Rahul Gandhi’s strategy—framing the youth as a democratic corrective—aims to mobilize young voters disillusioned with established politics. The BJP’s counterattack seeks to portray that outreach as dangerously destabilizing and to remind voters of alleged corruption under Congress rule.
As both parties escalate rhetoric, the row is likely to intensify in the media and on social platforms, with each side trying to shape Gen Z sentiment ahead of coming state and national contests.
