LUCKNOW: Amidst continuing unrest among railway job aspirants in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday accused the BJP of having a narrow mindset of making the youth sell "pakoras".
"There has been a huge uproar in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar over UPTNT and now over Railways' RRB-NTPC results, this is a proof of the failure of the governments. Beating up poor and unemployed youths for protesting, and playing with their future is totally unjustified," she said in a tweet in Hindi.
"Due to the wrong policies of the government, poverty and unemployment have reached the peak. Government jobs and reservation facility in them have become secondary. In such a situation, it is unjust to not have the examination even for small government jobs for years. BJP should change its narrow mindset of making the youth sell 'pakoras' (snacks)," she added.
Mayawati was apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments during an interview to a TV news channel in 2018 that selling pakoras is also a form of employment and can be seen in the light of 'job creation'.
Meanwhile, the railways had on Wednesday suspended its Non Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) and Level 1 exams after candidates went on a rampage in some states alleging irregularities in the process, whilst minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urged them not to destroy public property and assured redressal of their grievances.
On Tuesday, the railways had issued a general notice, warning its job aspirants that those found involved in vandalism and unlawful activities while protesting would be barred from ever getting recruited in the railways.
This came a day after protesters squatted on railway tracks in several places in Bihar. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had also condemned the "repression" of candidates and urged the government to find a solution to their problems through dialogue.