UP: Congress lights candles in solidarity with unemployed youths

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had appealed to people to switch off lights for nine minutes at 9 pm on Wednesday to protest problems faced by the youth, including unemployment. Congress secretary Dheeraj Gurjar, party Lucknow unit chief Mukesh Chauhan and other leaders took part in the protest.

Members of the Congress' Uttar Pradesh unit on Wednesday lit candles here to express solidarity with youths facing the consequences of unemployment. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had appealed to people to switch off lights for nine minutes at 9 pm on Wednesday to protest problems faced by the youth, including unemployment.

Congress secretary Dheeraj Gurjar, party Lucknow unit chief Mukesh Chauhan and other leaders took part in the protest. "Our country is the youngest country in the world. The youth is the backbone of the future. But this government is continuously deceiving the youth. The Modi government came to power promising jobs, but this anti-youth government has turned out to be the murderer of the dreams of the youth," Gurjar said in a statement.

Party leaders in the state took part in the campaign, he said, adding that protests were also held in Allahabad. Youth wing workers of the party, Shivam Tripathi and Gyanesh Shukla, among others, were arrested, the Congress claimed.