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Image Credit: Twitter/@srinivasiyc

Dubai: Youth organisations across India held a rally in New Delhi to protest against rising rates of youth unemployment in the country along with other issues like rising fuel prices and farmer deaths.

Fourteen national and regional political parties banded together to form the United Youth Front, which organised the rally. On Twitter, #DeshBachaoYuvaBachao [Save the country, save the youth] was one of the top trends in India, with users sharing information on the rally and encouraging others to join.

Posting a video from the protest, @Simerchawla2 wrote: “#DeshBachaoYuvaBachao United youth front a combined youth wing of 14 national and regional political parties protesting against Modi government @INCIndia @BJP4India”

Another user, @srinivasiyc, shared pictures from the rally, writing: “United Youth Front’s historic #DeshBachaoYuvaBachao rally has commenced. Join us as we begin our march from Jantar Mantar to Mandi House.”

@pandey_amrish wrote about the reason behind holding the rally: “For the first time in the history of Independent India, all major national and regional political parties with their youth wings have decided to collectively raise their concerns. United Youth Front expresses grave difficulties of Indian youth produced by BJP’s economic mess.”

@keshavyadaviyc, the National President of the Indian Youth Congress, wrote: “Modi’s new India. 80 per cent of employees in India lack a decent job which means their earnings are inadequate to satisfy the basic needs of their families. But for our Bhagidar [collaborator] foreign trips with Ambanis and Adanis matter more than the lives of poor and marginal people #DeshBachaoYuvaBachao”

In a war of words, the President of Indian National Congress called India’s Prime Minister a bhagidar instead of a chowkidaar [watchman]. Modi later responded that he was honoured to be a partner of the problems of poor people.

However, many users commented on how the poor people seemed to be suffering the most because of government policies. Instagram user @tharick_iyc wrote: “Unemployment rate - 5%. Youth Unemployment rate - 16%. Both are highest in last 20 years. Modi has miserably failed to create 20 million jobs per year as promised and it is high time to hold Modi accountable for duping the youngsters with his fake promises!”

Twitter user @sadhavi shared a news clipping of five people from a Dalit community in the state of Uttar Pradesh dying, apparently due to starvation, and wrote: “Shame on us as a country where people die due to starvation and the governments chant ‘All is well’ and ‘New India shining’ slogans. The most important socio-economic issues are brushed under the carpet. India’s wealth is concentrated in a few hands. [This is] the gap between the rich and the poor.”

Sharing an Amnesty International report stating that free speech in Indian universities was under threat, @romandsouza tweeted: “Education institution are being attacked. There is threat to freedom of speech, students raising voices are being tagged anti-national.”