Rahul Gandhi’s new Gen Z outreach after PM Modi:Tries to connect through an Instagram ‘Ask Me Anything’ session

Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Instagram Reels, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has launched an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on Instagram to engage with students and Gen Z. Announcing the initiative on X, Gandhi invited young people to ask him questions via his Instagram Stories, saying he would answer as many as possible. ‘FIRs being filed against Allahabad University students’, says Rahul Gandhi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi backed the students protesting against fee hikes and seat cuts at Allahabad University. He alleged that instead of addressing their concerns, the administration was filing FIRs against them. Rahul claimed the Centre was trying to suppress the voices of young people by responding to questions and protests with police action and legal cases. He also said the administration tried at every level to stop his visit to Prayagraj to meet the students, adding that the government was afraid of students’ voices and that he would continue raising their issues. PM Modi’s reels and reach to youth This step is part of the increasing efforts by political leaders to connect with the youth. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised Union Ministers to be active on Instagram. He asked the ministers to create reels and interact with the youth, as this platform is very popular among young people. The PM’s advice came at a time when the central government was facing student protests over the alleged exam paper leak controversy. Increased importance of social media among youth Political parties’ focus on Gen-Z has increased after the protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. There, thousands of students and job aspirants protested over alleged irregularities in the examination. These protests were primarily organized through Instagram and other social media platforms, with a large number of young people participating, and they remained a major topic of online discussion. Gen-Z’s language also heard in Parliament The impact of digital culture in politics is also being seen inside the parliament. During the Monsoon session, many MPs and ministers have used internet slang and Gen-Z words in their speeches. Videos featuring words like ‘delulu’ and ‘aura’ have gone viral on social media. This shows that digital culture is now becoming a part of political discourse.