RRB NTPC protests: Congress Secretary-General Priyanka Gandhi Vadra spoke virtually to young people residing in rented rooms of lodges in Prayagraj who were allegedly beaten in police action during a raid on the night of January 25, Thursday. She promised them all her support in their fight. She also promised to visit Sangam City soon and talk to them face to face.
The interaction via the Zoom meeting came following videos of police officers breaking into lodges housing students and aspirants to various government recruitment exams after breaking down open doors and beating them late on the night of the 25th of January.
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The midnight police raid came hours after angry midshipmen attempted to stop trains at Prayag station, upset over aspects of the Council’s Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) recruitment exam railway recruiting.
This had resulted in the police, Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF) reaching the spot with railway officials and police using moderate force when the aspirants refused to disperse. Some of the protesters were also arrested by the police. This had drawn criticism from leaders across the political spectrum, including Congress, the SP, and the BSP.
On Thursday, the Congress leader spoke with some of the concerned aspirants including Pravesh Kumar Mishra, Saurabh Yadav, Dharmendra Sahu, and Ankit Verma among others, and inquired about the nightly police raid on their lodges and the allegations that they were assaulted by the police, informed National Student Union of India (NSUI) state chairman Akhilesh Yadav, who helped organize the Zoom interaction.
“We told how the police raided the rooms of the lodges, dragged us out, and beat us with canes,” Pravesh explained.
“I am with you. We are all on your side. We will raise your issue on every platform and forum. relatives, such as employment. On the one hand the government does not provide you with jobs and on the other hand resorts to your repression. When the leaders come to solicit your votes, fix their responsibility,” she said during of his interaction with the young people, who all reside in rented rooms in the lodges of the Chota and Bada Bhagada localities of Prayagraj.
Priyanka also pointed to her party’s pledge to come up with a definite “work schedule” if elected to power in the next assembly elections. The party has promised that the calendar will announce dates for recruitment tests, interviews, and appointments. Congress has also said it will ensure that the recruitment process is completed within six months of the job posting date.
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Earlier on Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi condemned the “repression” of candidates for RRB Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB NTPC) and Level 1 exams and urged the government to find a solution to their problems through dialogue. Through her tweets, she had also called on protesting job aspirants to continue walking the path of “satyagraha” in a peaceful manner, saying there was a lot of power within her.
“No conviction is enough for the crackdown on youth associated with the Railway NTPC and Group D exams,” the congressional secretary said in a tweet while demanding the immediate release of the arrested aspirants.
“The government should immediately speak to the young people associated with the two exams and resolve their issues,” she said. The Congress leader had added that the government should end the action of entering student hostels to carry out searches and damage property.