Darbhanga/Patna: The ruling BJP-JD(U) government must answer for the struggles of Bihar’s three crore registered labourers, said AICC Media and Publicity Department chairman Pawan Khera during a press conference in Darbhanga. The event was part of the Congress-led Pravasi Roko, Naukri Do Yatra (Migration Stop, Jobs Do Yatra), aimed at highlighting unemployment, paper leaks, and mass migration from the state.
Addressing the media at a private auditorium in Baghmod, Bela, Khera said Bihar’s youth were disillusioned with the government and its failure to address crucial issues. “The Congress is raising the concerns of every youth in Bihar. The issues that Kanhaiya Kumar has been highlighting through this yatra will eventually have to be acknowledged by other political parties. The ruling party wants to divert attention from real problems to mask its failures, but we are ensuring that the voices of students and job-seekers are heard,” he said.
Kanhaiya Kumar, national in-charge of NSUI and leader of the yatra, took aim at the state government for neglecting key concerns such as the non-payment of government teachers’ salaries and the absence of librarian recruitment at Lalit Narayan Mithila University since 2008. He criticised the abolition of the sports quota for government jobs and the lack of a domicile policy, which he claimed was depriving disabled candidates of employment opportunities. Kanhaiya also raised concerns over the use of Darbhanga’s Polo Ground for cultural programmes instead of sports, which he said was hampering army aspirants’ physical training.
Dr. Ram Mohan Jha of the Financeless Teachers Struggle Committee added that nearly 70% of Bihar’s students study in unaided schools and colleges, yet grants for these institutions have been pending since 2017.
The press conference was attended by senior Congress leaders, including Pawan Khera, Kanhaiya Kumar, party leader in the legislative council Dr. Madan Mohan Jha, national media coordinator Abhay Dubey, Dr. Ajay Upadhyay, Bihar Congress media department chairman Rajesh Rathore, and district president Sitaram Chaudhary.
With elections approaching, the Pravasi Roko, Naukri Do Yatra has intensified Congress’s attack on the BJP-JD(U) government, positioning youth issues at the centre of its campaign.
