The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has significantly expanded its digital outreach targeting young voters through Instagram Reels following the political fallout over the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. The campaign comes as the party seeks to engage first-time voters and students on a platform that has become central to political discourse among Gen Z.The latest addition to the campaign came from the BJP’s Haryana unit, which released an Instagram Reel depicting a conversation among young people at a gym discussing the recent student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over examination-related issues.The video was shared with the caption: “Gen Z is not just tomorrow’s future, but the greatest strength of a developed India today.”Haryana BJP reel contrasts ‘old India’ with present-day progressIn the video, a group of youngsters discuss the protests before an older man joins the conversation, encouraging them to “take inspiration from the past.”Drawing a contrast between what he describes as “old India” — characterised by “bomb blasts, terrorist attacks, corruption headlines” — and the country’s current infrastructure, educational opportunities and connectivity, the character argues that the younger generation should acknowledge India’s progress while continuing to build on it.When one of the youngsters questions whether the protests forced the government’s response, the gym instructor replies that the developments reflect “the strength of democracy” rather than the success of the demonstrations.“The government has solved all the problems. So that you can look ahead,” the instructor says in the video.BJP expands Instagram strategy after PM Modi’s callThe Haryana unit’s reel is part of a broader social media strategy adopted by the BJP after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly encouraged Union Ministers and party leaders to engage more actively with young audiences through Instagram Reels.The renewed focus follows student-led protests over the NEET-UG paper leak, which underscored Instagram’s growing influence in shaping conversations among students and first-time voters.Prime Minister Modi has recently posted several selfie-style videos thanking students for their suggestions on examination reforms. Reports indicate that one such midnight video during the protests resulted in a sharp rise in his Instagram following, taking it to approximately 105 million followers.BJP leaders increase digital outreachThe BJP’s official Instagram account has also increased the frequency of reels focusing on:Examination paper leaksParliamentary debates on anti-paper leak legislationThe government’s response to student concernsCriticism of the Opposition over disruptions during Parliamentary discussionsSeveral Union Ministers, including Pralhad Joshi, J P Nadda, Jitendra Singh, Kiren Rijiju, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal and Annapurna Devi, have similarly stepped up their Instagram activity by posting multiple videos centred on examination reforms and the proposed anti-paper leak legislation.Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi has used Instagram to highlight the government’s measures under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, while urging political parties to support reforms aimed at strengthening the examination system.Amit Malviya amplifies campaignBJP IT Department head Amit Malviya has emerged as one of the party’s most active online campaigners during the controversy.He has shared videos related to the protests, alleging that the movement had expanded beyond students’ concerns. Malviya has also argued that reported examination malpractice cases have been higher in several Opposition-ruled states while defending the Centre’s legislative measures against paper leaks.Government introduces tougher anti-paper leak BillThe BJP’s digital campaign coincides with legislative action. On Monday, the Centre introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha proposing stricter punishments for those involved in examination paper leaks, including imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of up to Rs 50 lakh.The legislation was introduced amid Opposition protests over police action during the student march to Parliament on July 20.Prime Minister Modi has also announced the formation of a high-powered task force headed by Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, to recommend reforms aimed at making India’s examination system more secure and resistant to paper leaks.CJP protest movement gains online momentumThe student protests were led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), an online satirical movement that began in May and has since grown rapidly on Instagram, reportedly amassing more than 26 million followers.The protests over the NEET-UG controversy highlighted how social media platforms, particularly Instagram, have become influential spaces for political mobilisation and public debate among young Indians.BJP bets on short-form videos for Gen Z outreachWith Instagram emerging as the party’s preferred platform for engaging younger audiences, the BJP appears to be combining legislative messaging with short-form video content to shape public opinion on examination reforms, education policy and governance.As political parties increasingly compete for attention on social media, Gen Z voters are expected to remain a key audience in the evolving digital campaign landscape.