Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday condemned the “inhuman treatment and misconduct” meted out to students and youths protesting in Prayagraj against alleged corruption at the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC).

The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was displaying “arrogance of power” by resorting to lathi-charge, assault and alleged acts of humiliation, including pulling hair, against unemployed youths who were raising issues related to examinations and recruitment, the SP chief said in a statement.

He said students and educated youths did not want to fight but were only demanding a transparent and fair recruitment process.

“We stand with competitive exam aspirants as their moral strength,” the SP chief said while pressing for a “Special Investigation Report (SIR)” into allegations of a flawed examination system and corrupt selection process in the UPPSC.

Yadav alleged that the BJP would never be forgiven by the youth for what he described as barbaric behaviour. “Jobs are not on the BJP’s agenda. When the BJP goes, jobs will come,” he said.

Accusing the ruling party of betraying students and youths, Yadav said the BJP had made false promises about employment and failed to fulfil them. He further alleged that corruption was at its peak under the present government, claiming that every department was plagued by graft and loot.

Yadav also posted a video of police action against students. However, Prayagraj Police denied the allegations and claimed that reports of any clash between their personnel and students were completely “false and baseless”, and that peace and order prevailed at the site.

In a statement, it said that police personnel were deployed at the spot amid protests by some competitive exam aspirants outside the UPPSC headquarters. The statement said that efforts were being made to hold talks with the protesting students and persuade them.

After counselling them, necessary steps were taken to ensure smooth traffic movement, the statement read, adding that peace and order prevailed at the site. The UPPSC aspirants, during their protest in Prayagraj on Monday, demanded that the cut-off percentage for all categories, received marks, and answer sheets of various examinations be made public.(PTI)