Gonda: The Left Democratic Front (Vamapanthi Loktantrik Morcha), comprising the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) and representatives of several independent organisations, staged a one-day protest at the District Panchayat premises in Gonda on Tuesday, raising a range of issues concerning governance, education, public resources and social welfare.
The demonstration was presided over by senior leader Satyanarayan Tripathi, while Ishwar Sharan conducted the proceedings.
Addressing the gathering, CPI(M) District Secretary Kaushalendra Pandey alleged that repeated examination paper leaks had adversely affected the future of students and job aspirants. He demanded accountability over the issue and called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Pandey also criticised the government’s ethanol blending programme in petrol, describing it as a major scam and demanding that it be discontinued.
Left Democratic Front Convener Jamal Khan accused the government of pursuing policies that, according to him, favoured corporate interests. He alleged that public sector assets were being privatised at undervalued prices and claimed that dissent was being suppressed through legal action and other means.
CPI leader Raghunath called for an end to what he described as anti-worker and anti-farmer policies, while Comrade Ravindra Singh alleged that both the Central and State governments were prioritising corporate interests over the welfare of farmers, labourers, students, youth and women.
Speaking at the protest, Amit Shukla alleged that no effective action had been taken regarding alleged irregularities in donations related to the Ram Temple. Satyanarayan Tripathi also referred to ongoing protests over examination paper leaks and expressed support for activist Sonam Wangchuk and students demanding greater accountability, stating that the movement would be intensified.
The protest was also addressed by Sadanand Giri, Munnaram Gautam, Suresh Kanojia, Sitaram Verma, Ram Govind Mishra, Ravi Shankar, Dinesh, Ajay, Vinod, Faiyaz, Ramzan and Jamaluddin.
A large number of supporters, including Irfan, Ramesh Chaubey, Rajeev Singh, Vijay Yadav, Rajkumar Chauhan, Ram Sagar Chaubey, Mantu Yadav, Santosh Singh and Shahid, participated in the demonstration.
The protest concluded with the submission of demands related to education, employment, public sector protection, farmers’ welfare and other public issues. The allegations and demands raised during the demonstration reflect the views of the participating organisations.
