NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched an “Ask Me Anything” session on Instagram as part of a fresh outreach to Gen Z, responding to questions on student protests, women’s education, politics and even lighter topics such as Batman.Sharing the initiative on X, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha wrote, “Students, Gen-Z — I’m here to listen. Ask me anything on Instagram, and I’ll answer as many questions as I can.” The Congress later shared video clips of his responses.Responding to a question on the ongoing student agitation in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, Gandhi said the country’s education system had “collapsed” and urged governments across party lines to pay attention to students’ concerns.“The student protests that are happening in the country are against the education system. I have said it in Kota, Dehradun and will say it in Allahabad that our education system has collapsed. It is unaffordable and oppressive,” Gandhi said.“Every government, whether it is the Centre, a Congress government or the Jharkhand government, should listen to what students are saying and take action to change the education system,” he added.The protest in Jharkhand entered its 13th day on Thursday, with six demonstrators continuing an indefinite hunger strike. Student groups have formed an 11-member delegation for talks with the state government over their demands.Asked what message he had for young women fighting for their right to education, Gandhi said women deserved equal — if not greater — space in every sphere of life.“India’s women are our biggest strength. I do not appreciate the way women are treated in society, in our education system or in the corporate sector. You be confident, you be brave, you be powerful exactly as you are, and we are there to fully support you,” he said.In one of the lighter moments of the interaction, Gandhi was asked to name his favourite politician from the BJP. He named former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, saying they got along well and praising his knowledge of military history.On the state of education, Gandhi alleged that the system was “busy destroying thinkers” and claimed that after being “captured” by the RSS, its focus had shifted to discouraging independent thinking among young people.Asked if he was Batman, Gandhi joked, “Let’s just say that no one has ever seen me and Batman in the same room together.”Replying to a question on the philosophy that inspires him the most, Gandhi referred to the ideas of Lord Buddha, Guru Nanak Dev, Basavanna, Sankardev, Birsa Munda, Periyar, Mahatma Phule, Narayana Guru, B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, among others, saying these traditions had shaped India’s Constitution.The Instagram interaction came a day after Gandhi met students who had protested over the NEET paper leak and allegedly faced police action last month. On Wednesday, he accused Union home minister Amit Shah of being responsible for the violence against the protesters and claimed the government had failed to explain the incident in Parliament.Gandhi has increasingly been using Instagram to engage with students and young voters. The platform has emerged as a key battleground for political outreach, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and leaders across parties also stepping up their engagement with Gen Z audiences.(With PTI inputs)
