NSUI activists scuffle with police during protest over unemployment in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Members of the Congress' students' wing NSUI on Wednesday scuffled with the police here during their march towards Naveen Niwas, the residence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, to protest "unemployment and deplorable educational system" in Odisha.

Holding posters and banners, activists of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), led by its state president Yashir Nawaz, took out the protest march from Rajmahal Square in Bhubaneswar. As they were moving towards Naveen Niwas, police stopped them at Sishu Bhawan Square, following which a scuffle ensued as the protesters tried to break through barricades and continue with their march.

During the scuffle, the student Congress activists also threw tomatoes at the police. Some of the protesters were detained, but released later, police said. Nawaz, later in a statement, claimed that the BJD had promised employment to 2 lakh youths every year but many of the youngsters from the state are forced to migrate to other places in the country for livelihood.

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He also lashed out at the state government for not holding student union elections since 2018. Nawaz claimed that over 1,000 teaching posts were lying vacant in 12 public universities as were 45 per cent of lecturer posts in government-run degree colleges.

He said that the NSUI members were marching towards Naveen Niwas to seek answers from the CM. Senior Congress MLA Suresh Routray, who participated in the protest, told reporters, "We want the government to punish those involved in question paper leaks, ensure that exams and classes are held properly in colleges, and vacant lecturer posts are filled up."