Gorakhpur (UP), Sep 14 (PTI) AISA national president Neha Bora on Monday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led governments in Uttar Pradesh and at Centre, accusing them of failing to address unemployment, recruitment delays and concerns over education.
Addressing the ‘Gen-Z Mahajutan Yatra’ as part of the organisation’s ‘Gen Z Rising’ campaign in Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s pocket borough, Bora said the student and youth movements across the country reflected growing dissatisfaction with the education and employment systems and demanded accountability from governments and university administrations.
The All India Students Association (AISA) president highlighted that students in UP were raising issues related to scholarships, inadequate hostel facilities, shortage of women’s hostels and budget cuts affecting infrastructure in public universities.
She also raised the demands of competitive examination aspirants and alleged delays in teacher recruitment in the state.
“Recruitment has not taken place in Uttar Pradesh for a long time. The backlog has remained since 2018,” she said, reiterating the demand for notification of at least 60,000 posts and clearance of the recruitment backlog.
Bora expressed solidarity with those aspiring for TGT and PGT positions and candidates seeking to take exams under previous rules and patterns. She criticised the state government for allegedly failing to provide clarity regarding higher education and students’ futures.
Regarding the non-NET fellowship at Gorakhpur University, she claimed that Adityanath announced it during a visit but that students received it only for a month, with no further communication.
Bora also referenced a recent incident in Lucknow where a journalist claimed her questions were ignored at a press conference held by the chief minister, criticising Adityanath for this.
Additionally, she condemned the alleged bulldozer actions in UP, asserting that families affected by such actions deserved support. Bora claimed that Muslims and Dalits had been “disproportionately affected” by these operations, and she pointed to incidents of mob violence, killings, and sexual assault as contributing to an atmosphere of fear. She accused some groups of taking the law into their own hands.
“We oppose individuals and groups who, by taking the law into their own hands, have effectively become militias. Certain groups associated with the Sangh and other outsiders openly violate the rule of law through lynching, murder and sexual assault,” she said.
Citing the student movement at Jantar Mantar, Bora said organised students and young people could challenge those in power. “If student movements can challenge those in power, the people of Gorakhpur can also remove the stigma of being labelled a ‘bulldozer city’,” she said.
She emphasised that students and youth would strive to change the perception of Uttar Pradesh and Gorakhpur as a center of “bulldozer raj.” When questioned about her use of language that some deemed objectionable toward the chief minister, Bora responded, “I did not use any objectionable words. I merely described his criminal history.” The yatra, which began in Prayagraj, passed through Varanasi and Azamgarh before reaching Gorakhpur. Its next leg will cover Ayodhya and Lucknow, she said.
The AISA’s Uttar Pradesh chapter had announced the ‘Gen-Z Mahajutan Yatra’ in August as part of its nationwide ‘Gen Z Rising’ campaign to raise issues concerning education, employment and social justice.
In Varanasi on Saturday, Bora demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government clear the recruitment backlog pending since 2018 and notify at least 60,000 posts.
In Azamgarh on Sunday, she accused the government of “selling education” through the National Education Policy 2020 and called for better infrastructure and more teachers in government schools.
The campaign comes ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, which are due to be held early next year. PTI COR KIS MPL MPL
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