India's Parliament witnessed an unexpected blend of traditional legislative discourse and modern youth culture this week, as Members of Parliament from both ruling and opposition parties peppered their speeches with Gen Z slang. The linguistic phenomenon occurred during a heated debate on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, commonly known as the anti-paper leak Bill.
The Bill, introduced amidst widespread concerns over examination irregularities and recent protests, became a platform for MPs to connect with a younger demographic, albeit in an unconventional manner. The infusion of internet vernacular quickly garnered public attention and sparked discussions.
Ruling Party MPs Embrace Viral Phrases
Leading the charge was BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, who employed the phrase "clock it" – a Gen Z expression meaning to notice or correctly identify something – to commend the Narendra Modi government. Swaraj argued that while the Congress created a "policy vacuum," the Modi administration "clocked it" and provided a solution to the issue of paper leaks.
Another BJP MP, Tejasvi Surya, also adopted Gen Z vocabulary, labeling the Opposition as "delulu" (short for "delusional"). Surya suggested that the Opposition was mistaken in believing that young voters would side with them due to the NEET paper leak controversy, asserting that students are more interested in systemic reforms than political blame games. He further proposed that India needs to "fix the source code" of its education system, using another tech-inspired Gen Z phrase.
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde joined the trend, describing the Opposition as "MIA" (Missing in Action) during initial student protests. He claimed they later developed "FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out) and staged demonstrations, also calling them "delulu" for expecting protesting students to join their movement.
Opposition Responds with Youth-Centric References
The Opposition was not immune to the trend. Congress MP Deepender Hooda referenced the viral internet meme phrase "waste-guna-huiya," which has no literal meaning but has gained significant popularity on social media. Hooda used the phrase while recalling slogans raised during student protests against examination irregularities, highlighting the youth-centric nature of the protests.
Concerns Over Shifting Tone
Despite the engagement, not all parliamentarians appreciated the linguistic shift. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule urged her colleagues to maintain the seriousness of the debate, stating, "This debate is not about the Oxford online dictionary. We are here for a very serious issue."
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also weighed in on the government's attempts to connect with Gen Z. She commented that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi truly wished to engage with younger generations, "changing camera angles" in videos would be insufficient; instead, he should "change the angle of his heart."
The debate ultimately underscored the growing influence of youth culture and social media trends, even within the hallowed halls of India's Parliament, as lawmakers grapple with new ways to communicate and connect with a digitally native generation.