Lucknow: Stepping up its attack on the BJP-led govts over farmer distress and rising unemployment, the UP Congress on Monday announced the launch of a statewide ‘Kisan naujawan bachao yatra’ from Saharanpur to Delhi beginning May 1.To be led by the UP Youth Congress western zone with support from the state Kisan Congress, the yatra will pass through Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Agra, Mathura and Gautambudhnagar before concluding in Delhi.“Farmers and youth have been the worst affected under BJP govt, with cultivators facing mounting input costs, financial hardship and inadequate crop prices, while young people continue to struggle with unemployment,” said UP Congress chief Ajay Rai.Calling farmers the backbone of the nation and youth its future, Rai said that the Congress is committed to protecting their interests and raising their concerns through mass mobilisation.Youth Congress western zone president Paras Shukla said the campaign aims to unite young people against what he termed the state govt’s anti-youth policies.Kisan Congress functionary Akhilesh Shukla said the yatra will focus on local issues across districts, including sugarcane pricing, smart meter protests, fertiliser and seed shortages, MGNREGA awareness, student concerns and employment dialogues.Congress functionaries said the outreach programme is intended to build a broader movement around agrarian distress, joblessness and public welfare issues ahead of key political battles in the state.
