T-Congress Supports Jobless Students' Agitation

Demanding that the State Government immediately resolve the issues concerning unemployed students, the Telangana Congress on Monday announced its full support to the agitation launched the by Telangana Unemployed Students JAC at Osmania University.

Addressing the massive dharna launched by the JAC in the OU Campus, Deputy CLP leader in the Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir accused Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of ignoring the welfare of the students' community which played the lead role in the formation of Telangana.

He said that several students had sacrificed their careers for the statehood agitation. They faced lathi charges, arrests and multiple cases during the Telangana movement. However, KCR had completely sidelined the students immediately after the formation of Telangana.

Shabbir Ali said that the Telangana Congress fully supported the JAC's demand for the constitution of a Telangana Public Service Commission, issuing of job notifications and cancellation of contract jobs, as was promised by the TRS before the elections.

He said that the students deserved better treatment, and should be provided jobs in the new State.

He criticised the Chief Minister for giving preference to the betrayers of Telangana over those poor students who had risked their lives and careers for the statehood cause.

The Congress leader recalled that AICC President Sonia Gandhi had agreed to grant statehood for Telangana primarily due to the agitation and suicides by students. He said that Sonia Gandhi was concerned about the students' welfare, and therefore gave her consent for Telangana in 2009 itself when the agitation by the OU and KU students was at its peak.

He said that it was the students' agitation and not KCR's hunger strike that convinced the Congress Government on Telangana. Therefore, instead of giving himself and his family a heroic treatment, KCR should honour the students by fulfilling all the promises that he made to them.

Shabbir Ali said that unemployed students should be provided jobs on the basis of merit. Citing instances, he said that as the then Energy Minister, he had undertaken two major recruitment drives. While nearly 7,000 vacancies of Junior Lineman were filled, about 300 Assistant Engineers' posts were filled without any legal complications.

He said that thousands of students had participated in Telangana movement with the confidence that they would get jobs in the new State. Therefore, the State Government should fulfill their aspirations by providing them jobs without further delay.

The Congress leader assured the students that his Party would make representations to the Governor E S L Narasimhan on their demands.

Later, he also participated in a novel protest wherein the students had their lunches on the main road opposite the Arts College building in the OU campus. (INN)