On Sunday, Deepsita Dhar, national leader of the Students' Federation of India and JNU alumna, addressed the 15th Dakshina Kannada District Conference of the Democratic Youth Federation of India at Bishop Jattanna Auditorium in Mangaluru, condemning Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what she called a record of destruction rather than development.
Speaking to a multilingual audience that includes Kannada, Tulu, Beary and Konkani speakers, Dhar warned that communal divisions are being fuelled since the BJP assumed power. "When our comrades shouted slogans here, they said we have no religious blood in us. We have human blood, red and alive," she said, adding that unity in the district is under threat.
She recalled Modi's 2014 promise to deposit 15 lakh rupees into every citizen's account, noting that the pledge remains unfulfilled in 2026. Referring to the prime minister's slogan "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas", Dhar asked, "Where is the development? Modi calls himself a Vikas Purush, but I see a Vinash Purush."
The youth leader criticised the central government's new labour policy, which she said mandates 12‑hour workdays and eliminates maternity leave. She highlighted the plight of farmers committing suicide under debt, children suffering chronic malnutrition, and teenage pregnancies, questioning how a nation can claim progress amid such crises.
Dhar also pointed to recent BJP celebrations of Modi's birthday with lamp‑lighting ceremonies, juxtaposing them against millions of hungry children across the country. She challenged the Congress state government, which recently defeated the BJP in Karnataka, asking whether it will oppose the RSS ideology and caste‑based policies.
Before a cabinet meeting in Mangaluru, DYFI activists attempted to submit a memorandum demanding the implementation of several promises; the protest led to arrests, yet Dhar asserted that no jail term has halted their struggle.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Vartha Bharati DK