Dharwad (Karnataka), February 24 – Thousands of students, members of the All Karnataka State Student Association (AKSSA), and unemployed youth staged a massive protest in Dharwad on Tuesday, demanding that the Karnataka government immediately fill vacant positions in various state departments.
The BJP has called for a protest in support of the unemployed youth, further intensifying pressure on the Karnataka government.
The protesters gathered in large numbers and held placards displaying the photographs of Congress leaders while raising slogans against the government, accusing it of delaying recruitment.
They demanded immediate notification and recruitment for the vacant positions, stating that prolonged delays have left lakhs of educated youth without employment.
The police had a difficult time controlling the crowd as agitators pushed aside barricades and attempted to march towards Jayanagar. The protesters confronted police personnel during the march, creating tense moments in parts of the city. Additional police forces were deployed to maintain law and order and prevent the situation from escalating.
The AKSSA had been seeking permission from the police for several days to hold the protest. However, permission was denied citing various reasons. The association subsequently approached the court, which directed the student body to conduct the protest in accordance with police guidelines. However, the organization staged the protest following the BJP's call for the agitation.
Leader of the Opposition, R. Ashoka, commenting on the protest while speaking to the media, alleged in Chitradurga that the state government has failed to address unemployment despite having clearance to fill thousands of vacant positions.
He said that more than 2.5 lakh government positions are currently vacant in Karnataka, and the finance department had cleared recruitment for 65,000 positions nearly six months ago. However, no interviews have been conducted so far.
Ashoka criticized the state leadership, alleging that the government has failed to provide employment opportunities to unemployed youth even after being in power for over two-and-a-half years. He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of focusing on internal political issues rather than providing employment to students from poor families.
He further said that around 20,000 unemployed youth are participating in the protest, and he will soon join them. He also warned that if the government does not initiate the recruitment process immediately, the BJP and student groups will launch a statewide agitation.
Ashoka demanded that the government issue recruitment notifications without further delay and initiate the hiring process to provide employment opportunities to eligible candidates across the state.
