A massive protest for employment by hundreds of job aspirants brought life in Dharwad to a standstill on Thursday as participants demanded urgent steps from the State government to fill long-pending vacancies. The demonstration, organized under the aegis of the All Karnataka State Students Association (AKSSA), saw protestors marching from Sri Nagar, covering College Road, and finally congregating at Jubilee Circle, where they staged a prolonged dharna lasting several hours.
Dharwad Explodes in Protest!
Thousands of passionate civil service aspirants, rallied by the All Karnataka Students’ Association, stormed the streets of Dharwad against @INCKarnataka government. their voices echoing with demands for immediate recruitment to long-pending… pic.twitter.com/gJCDuQMEw3
— Gali Janardhana Reddy (@JanardhanaBJP) September 26, 2025
The protest disrupted vehicular movement across the city, including public transport buses, as the aspirants blocked the arterial junction. Police had to divert traffic at key points, with ambulances being the only vehicles allowed to pass. The massive turnout of students and job aspirants, mostly from various coaching centres in Dharwad, underscored widespread frustration over the inordinate delays in the recruitment process across multiple government departments.
Addressing the protestors, AKSSA State President Kanth Kumar highlighted the challenges faced by aspirants who have invested years preparing for competitive examinations. Speakers pointed out that recruitment for constable and sub-inspector posts has been stalled for over four years, while FDA and SDA positions have remained vacant for over seven years. Many aspirants, having crossed the upper age limit, demanded a minimum age relaxation of five years to ensure they remain eligible.
Despite attempts by Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar to pacify the demonstrators and prevent them from marching to the Deputy Commissioner’s office, the protestors remained resolute, submitting a memorandum highlighting their grievances. Authorities had prepared elaborate bandobast along the protest route and at the Deputy Commissioner’s office to maintain law and order.
This comes a week after Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi exhorted the youth, students, and Gen Z to “save the Constitution, protect democracy, and stop vote theft,” pledging his unwavering support for their cause. His call for youth-led change, with Gen-Z at the forefront, drew immediate political attention, given recent parallels with upheavals in Nepal, where anti-corruption movements escalated into chaos, claimed lives, and eventually toppled the government.
Rahul Gandhi, through a post on X, stated, “The youth of the country, the students of the country, the Gen Z of the country will save the Constitution, protect democracy, and stop vote theft. I always stand with them. Jai Hind!”
देश के Yuva
देश के Students
देश की Gen Z
संविधान को बचाएंगे, लोकतंत्र की रक्षा करेंगे और वोट चोरी को रोकेंगे।मैं उनके साथ हमेशा खड़ा हूं।
जय हिंद! pic.twitter.com/cLK6Tv6RpS
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 18, 2025
Rahul Gandhi seemed to want to instigate civil war in India and this exhortation to Gen-Z echoes similar movements in India’s crisis-hit neighbourhoods, such as Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
While Rahul Gandhi calls for political activism from the youth, real-life grievances such as long-pending government job vacancies and stalled recruitment continue to fuel unrest on the ground.
(With inputs from The Hindu)
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