Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday urged India's youth not to allow political parties to hijack student-led agitations, saying young people must fight independently for issues that directly affect them. Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, she launched a sharp attack on both the ruling establishment and the opposition, accusing them of exploiting genuine youth grievances for electoral gain.

The Core Accusation

Mayawati alleged that parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress, and their respective allies have been fuelling parliamentary disruptions over various issues, pushing matters of public importance to the margins. She went further, claiming there could be an 'understanding' between rival parties to collectively divert public attention from real concerns — a charge that, if true, would implicate both sides of the aisle in a coordinated distraction.

'Gen Z should not become tools in the hands of political parties,' she said, framing the warning as a call to independent democratic action rather than partisan alignment.

Student Protests in Focus

Referring specifically to demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over paper leaks and unemployment, Mayawati alleged that the Congress and its allies attempted to appropriate the movement for political purposes rather than championing the students' demands. She made a similar observation about the ongoing student-youth agitation in Ranchi, where she alleged the BJP and its supporters were backing the movement — again, she argued, with political interests overshadowing students' concerns.

In both cities, she said, the authentic voice of young people risks being drowned out by party machinery.

Key Issues Facing Gen Z

Mayawati identified a cluster of concerns she said political parties have failed to address: deteriorating access to quality education, widespread unemployment, recruitment delays in government positions, recurring paper leak scandals, and an overall sense of an uncertain future. She maintained that the BSP has consistently stood by students and youth, and called on all parties to prioritise resolving these issues rather than leveraging protests for agenda-setting.

On Reservation and Private Sector

The BSP chief also raised the issue of reservation in government employment, alleging that the benefits of the reservation system were being gradually curtailed and its impact deliberately weakened. She further argued that the systematic strengthening of the private sector at the expense of public sector institutions had left the poor, unemployed, and marginalised communities increasingly vulnerable.

Clarifying her party's stance, Mayawati said the BSP is not opposed to the private sector but advocates extending the reservation framework to private employment, mirroring the protections that exist in government jobs. She also claimed that during her tenure as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, all sections of society were treated equitably and particular attention was paid to student welfare and youth employment.

What Comes Next

With student agitations continuing across multiple cities, the political pressure on both the Centre and state governments to address paper leaks and recruitment delays is unlikely to ease. Mayawati's intervention adds a third voice to the debate — one that positions the BSP neither with the ruling bloc nor the principal opposition, but as a self-described champion of youth interests outside the dominant political binary.