Overview
- Bhagwat told about 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha participants on Thursday, Aug. 6 that their grievances over education were genuine, that protesting is a lawful way to seek consensus, and that young demonstrators should not be branded "anti‑national."
- He backed calls to raise public education spending to about 6 percent of GDP and urged dialogue and social reform as remedies for the failures students have highlighted.
- Asked about allegations of police excess during the July 20 march to Parliament, Bhagwat said he lacked full facts and needed to study the evidence before judging whether lathi charges or pellet use occurred.
- Political reactions were split, with BJP figures welcoming Bhagwat’s tone while opposition leaders accused the Sangh and the ruling party of double standards and demanded Home Minister Amit Shah answer questions about police action in Parliament.
- Students and religious leaders gave mixed responses, with some welcoming the acknowledgment and others insisting on concrete steps such as transparent probes of the NEET paper‑leak claims, stronger exam safeguards, and clear government accountability; this development could force policy moves on education funding and further parliamentary scrutiny.