The Aam Aadmi Party’s “Provide Employment – Ensure Social Justice” march entered Pratapgarh on its ninth day on Wednesday, led by Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh. The march began at 10.00 am from Aashirwad Banquet and moved through Bhagat Singh Statue Chauraha, Bhupiya Mau, and HPS Vatika before arriving at Vishwanathganj Bazaar.Residents, workers from various sectors, and members of several community groups joined the march at different points along the route. Participants included youth, women, farmers, weavers, ASHA and anganwadi workers, shiksha mitras, education instructors, and supporters of the old pension scheme.Addressing the gathering, Sanjay Singh claimed that the march seeks to highlight unemployment in Uttar Pradesh and the issues faced by young job seekers. He referred to recent incidents involving shiksha mitras, police action on protesting youth, and repeated exam irregularities as examples of what he described as government failure in creating employment opportunities. He also claimed that farmers, weavers, and small industries have been affected by the state’s policies.Speaking on the march’s second demand, “Ensure Social Justice,” Singh said, “We included this demand because today, dalits, backward communities, and marginalized groups in Uttar Pradesh are facing escalating injustice. From village squares to urban crossroads, their voices are being silenced. A storyteller is humiliated for belonging to a backward caste; a CRPF jawan is denied the right to ride a wedding horse because he is Dalit; in Rae Bareli, Hariom Valmiki is lynched by a mob. Under the very nose of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, an elderly man from the Pasi community is subjected to inhumane treatment in Kakori. Atrocities against Dalit and backward women have become routine in the state.”Along the route, local residents welcomed the march with garlands and expressed support. Large groups assembled at Bhagat Singh Statue Chauraha, Bhupiya Mau, HPS Vatika, and Vishwanathganj Bazaar to receive the procession.The march will continue on Thursday, covering more areas of Pratapgarh before moving toward Prayagraj.
