Gonda: The District Congress Committee on Sunday organised a candlelight march in Gonda to pay tribute to students who reportedly lost their lives after failing the NEET examination, as well as children who, according to the party, lost their lives during protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The march was organised in line with directions issued by the Uttar Pradesh Congress leadership and was jointly led by former MLA and District Congress President Ram Pratap Singh and City Congress Committee President Shahid Ali Qureshi. It began from the Congress Bhavan in Gonda and passed through Peepal Chauraha before concluding at the statue of freedom fighter Rajendra Nath Lahiri.
At Peepal Chauraha, Congress workers lit candles, observed a two-minute silence, and offered floral tributes in memory of the deceased students, praying for peace for their departed souls.
Addressing the gathering, Ram Pratap Singh and Shahid Ali Qureshi criticised the Central Government over issues related to students and the education system. Referring to the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the leaders described it as a victory for students, youth, and the public, while stating that further accountability was required.
The leaders also alleged that students protesting at Jantar Mantar had been subjected to excessive force and demanded accountability. They called for action against those responsible and sought justice for the affected families, urging the government to address the concerns of students and safeguard their future.
A large number of Congress leaders and workers participated in the programme, including former District President Pramod Mishra, Dr Syed Abdul Mujeeb, Hanuman Prasad, Shiv Kumar Dubey, Ajay Kumar Rastogi, Zainul Abideen, Baby Mishra, Mohammad Imran, Pradyuman Shukla, Jalil Khan, M.A. Farooqui, Mohammad Rizwan, Santoshi Lal Tiwari, Ubaidur Rahman Shimpu, Subhash Chandra Pandey, Sagir Khan, Nishant Singh, Anil Kanaujia, Vivekanand, Zakir Ali, Arvind Shukla, Aneesh Nana, Rajesh Singh, Santosh Singh, Bhagwati Prasad Soni, Hariram Verma, Raju Seva Dal, Wasim Raini, Kavaljeet, Afsar Salim, Mohabbat Ali, Farzana, Dr Zafar Ashfaq, Vikas Manohar Srivastava, and several other party office-bearers and supporters.
