Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has attacked both the ruling establishment and the opposition over the ongoing student and youth agitations in the country, and urged young people to raise their own voices on issues that affect them.
She asked Gen Z not to become tools in the hands of political parties.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Mayawati alleged that both the government and opposition parties were attempting to exploit the students’ agitation for political gains rather than addressing their genuine problems.
She said political parties, particularly the BJP, the Congress and their allies, have been creating disruptions in Parliament over various issues, causing matters of public importance to take a back seat.
She further claimed that there could even be an “understanding” between rival parties to divert public attention from the real issues.
Highlighting the challenges faced by young people, Mayawati said Gen Z is grappling with concerns related to education, employment, recruitment delays, paper leaks and an uncertain future. Political parties, she said, should focus on these issues and try to resolve them rather than using youth-led protests to advance their own agenda.
Referring to student protests held at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over paper leaks and unemployment, she alleged that the Congress and its allies had attempted to use the movement for political purposes.
She maintained that the concerns of students and youth are genuine and serious, adding that the BSP has always stood by them.
She urged students and young people to continue raising their demands through democratic means but cautioned them against becoming pawns of any political party.
The BSP chief also spoke on the ongoing student-youth agitation in Ranchi. She alleged that the Congress and its allies were not openly supporting students’ concerns, while the BJP and its supporters were backing the movement.
She said that in both Delhi and Ranchi, political interests seem to have overshadowed the students’ concerns.
Mayawati stressed that both the ruling side and the opposition should prioritise addressing the concerns of young people. She also alleged that the benefits of reservation in government jobs were gradually being curtailed and efforts were being made to weaken its impact.
At the same time, she said, the public sector was being weakened while greater emphasis was being placed on the private sector, resulting in large corporates becoming stronger while the poor, unemployed and marginalised sections were left behind.
Clarifying the BSP’s position, she said the party was not opposed to the private sector, but advocated reservation in private employment on the lines of the reservation system in government jobs.
Mayawati claimed that all sections of society were treated fairly when she was the Chief Minister and that particular attention was paid to resolving students’ concerns and creating livelihood opportunities for youth.
(IANS)
