Shiv Sena slams RSS outreach as hypocritical amid student protest crackdown

The Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray‑led Shiv Sena published an editorial in its newspaper Saamana criticizing RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s outreach session with Generation Z in Mumbai. The party called the meeting “hypocritical”, arguing that while the RSS seeks dialogue, the ruling BJP‑led government is conducting a heavy‑handed police crackdown on student demonstrators, labeling them “anti‑national”. The editorial cited incidents of police harassment, including the targeting of youth activist Riya Ahir, and noted that despite the Prime Minister’s offers of pardons, law‑enforcement agencies continue to intimidate protesters and their families. It accused the RSS of remaining silent as democratic institutions are eroded, urging the organization to engage directly with those injured in police lathi‑charge actions rather than staged gatherings.