# Gen Z protesters mask up to hide from BJP-voting parents 2026-08-07T09:56:04+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Young protesters at the July 20 Jantar Mantar march wore masks not to evade the police but to hide from their own families, many of whom are devoted BJP supporters. A 21-year-old from Bihar said his parents are hardcore BJP backers, while another feared being recognised on television. The protest against India’s corrupt examination system drew brutal police action with nailed lathis and tear gas. Some BJP MPs have privately told media the “fiasco could have been avoided”. While many parents marched alongside their children in solidarity, the masks reveal a widening inter-generational rift inside the BJP's social coalition. Similar Gen Z protests in the US over Gaza have reshaped politics there, but Indian Gen Z has yet to take up that issue. ## Coverage - frontline.thehindu.com - nationalheraldindia.com Tags: Gaza, Gen Z, India, student protests, United States Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/gen-z-protests-may-reshape-politics-in-india-and-the-us/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/gen-z-protests-may-reshape-politics-in-india-and-the-us/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.