CHITRADURGA: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the ruling BJP in the state has put government jobs on auction.
"While the youths are caught in the clutches of unemployment, the BJP government in Karnataka is busy auctioning jobs," he said after his interaction with more than 2,000 unemployed youths.
Referring to the recent government recruitment scams in the state, Rahul alleged that they (the BJP government) had sold the police sub-inspector jobs for Rs 80 lakh each and the jobs of assistant professor and assistant engineer for Rs 30-40 lakh each.
The yatra, in its 35th day in Karnataka, began at Challakere at 6.40am and traversed through the historic Chitradurga district where the 15th-century fort, locally known as Kallina Kote or the stone fortress, is located, and ended at Hirehalli.
Earlier in the day, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivkumar walked alongside Rahul, wearing a T-shirt highlighting the "unemployment" problems in the state. The Congress leader wore a bright red T-shirt with yellow text - symbolically signifying Kannada colours - which read: 'Youth need jobs, not empty promises'.
Shivakumar also urged the youth to fill out the form on the party website and share their current employment status, name, age and other qualifications so that they can help them get better jobs. Several youths wearing black T-shirts also walked with Shivakumar and Rahul.
Rahul walked along with the families of people who donated their organs to emphasise the importance of organ donation, the party said. The party said 33 'yatris' marching with the former Congress president have pledged their eyes for donation.
The organ donors, whose family members walked with Rahul, included late National Film Award winner Sanchari Vijay, who died in a motorcycle accident; Rakshitha, a PU student from Chikkamagaluru district, who suffered a head injury after falling off a bus and Veda Manjunath, who met with an accident on the Hubballi-Dharwad highway.
Later, in a post on his Facebook page, Rahul Gandhi said he had the privilege of walking with the braveheart families of these organ donors and they personify resilience, empathy and humanity.
"It was not their age to go. Rakshitha, Veda, and Vijay went too soon. Even in death, they gifted meaning and happiness to others by donating their organs to save lives. A beautiful gesture of love and sacrifice! It is the human spirit of care and compassion that we must nurture and cherish. It is too precious to be lost to the hateful and greedy ploys of a few," he said.
Noting that Kannada thespian Dr Rajkumar and his late actor-son Puneeth's similar selfless acts of donating their eyes inspired millions of Kannadigas and others, and raised awareness on the importance of organ donation, Rahul said, "I feel immensely proud to tell you all that 33 Bharat yatris have pledged to donate their eyes from this beautiful land of Karnataka." "There is boundless love and joy in the spirit of harmony, brotherhood, and humanity," he added.
Rahul Gandhi and thousands of people made way for an ambulance that passed through the same road during the yatra. The ambulance was going from Challakere to Ballari.
Tribal dance to greet RahulSome people belonging to the Kuruba community greeted Rahul near Suji Malleshwaranagara in Challakere by placing a blanket (kambali) on his shoulder. The cultural teams of Myasbeda, Kadugolla and other tribal communities performed their traditional dances in colourful costumes. "Tricolor is behind and Josh is way in front. Steps will not stop, as a resolve has been taken to unite the country," the Congress tweeted in Hindi.