Samajwadi Party Debates Stance on Protests Amid Controversy Over Links to International Movements

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party (SP) is internally debating the implications of statements drawing parallels between protests in India and the political upheavals in Bangladesh and Nepal. Party sources said the SP was unlikely to support any agitation that went beyond democratic norms, even as it backed the ongoing Gen-Z protests in Delhi. Sources said the party leadership was closely monitoring the nature and ideological direction of the Gen-Z protests and the activities of the so-called Cockroach Party to ensure that its association with such movements did not hurt its electoral prospects. The SP has extended full support to the Gen-Z protests in Delhi, with Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav and several senior party leaders publicly backing the movement. Party president Akhilesh Yadav also expressed concern on Friday over the arrest of AISA president Neha Bora. However, references to the political developments in Bangladesh during the protests have drawn the BJP's attention. BJP leaders have accused those associated with the agitation of attempting to push the country towards anarchy, making the issue politically contentious. The SP, the principal opposition party in Uttar Pradesh and the third-largest party in the Lok Sabha in terms of strength, is seeking to consolidate its political position both in the state and nationally. Party leaders are conscious that any perceived support for an agitation that turns violent or challenges democratic institutions could have electoral consequences. A party functionary, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the leadership was particularly cautious about the possible impact of its involvement in protests in the national capital. The party does not want to take any step that could be viewed negatively by moderate voters, the functionary said, adding that workers were also being advised to exercise caution. SP chief spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary, however, defended the party's position, saying the Gen-Z protesters in Delhi were raising their demands through democratic means and deserved support. He accused the BJP of branding the protests as foreign-funded and implicating young people in false cases. Such actions were unjustified, he said, reiterating that the SP supported democratic forms of protest. The party's position, therefore, reflects a distinction between backing the right to protest and endorsing the course of any agitation that may move beyond peaceful and democratic methods.