Azad Samaj Party chief and Member of Parliament Chandrashekhar Azad on Friday, 30 October congratulated students of Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi on the restoration of their students' union, calling it a hard-won outcome of sustained protest. He simultaneously launched a sharp attack on the Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, accusing it of targeting young protesters by denying government employment to individuals allegedly accused of seeking 'regime change through violent means'.

Jamia Students' Union: A 19-Year Wait Ends

The Student Union of Jamia Millia Islamia was dissolved in 2006 following what the university administration described as 'violent activities', leaving the institution without any student elections for nearly two decades. A fresh protest campaign, launched over two weeks ago, succeeded in persuading the administration to restore the union and announce elections. The Jamia administration's new order also reportedly covers additional disciplinary actions that would be rolled back.

Azad credited the result directly to student perseverance. 'It is the result of a struggle. I congratulate the students of Jamia, my young friends, brothers and sisters, for their persistent struggle. It is because of their efforts that the administration opened the path for these elections,' he said.

AMU Movement as a Catalyst

Azad also referenced ongoing student activism at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), arguing that protest movements at one institution can inspire others to assert their rights. 'When a struggle takes place, it serves as an inspiration to others. That is what happened here,' he said, while extending congratulations to candidates who would contest the Jamia polls.

Azad's Criticism of UP Government's Job Restriction Move

At the centre of Azad's political broadside was a reported decision by the Uttar Pradesh government to bar individuals allegedly accused of attempting 'regime change through violent means' from government jobs. Azad claimed the move was designed to suppress youth-led protest movements rather than address any genuine security concern.

'This is a scared move by a scared government,' he said, adding that the youth and the unemployed constitute the most active sections of any protest movement, and that invoking the law against them amounted to hiding behind legal cover to stifle dissent.

'They want to suppress the protests through legal means. They are hiding behind the law. The youth and unemployed are protesting the most. They are trying to suppress the youth. They are trying to suppress the movement,' Azad said.

A Warning Shot at 2027 UP Assembly Elections

Describing the Adityanath administration as 'anti-youth', Azad alleged that the government had consistently failed to address the aspirations and grievances of young people. He issued a pointed warning, invoking the next state electoral cycle: 'This is an anti-youth government that does not care about the youth of the nation. They will be taught a lesson in 2027,' he said, referring to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due that year.

This comes amid a broader national debate over the boundaries of dissent, employment eligibility, and government responses to student and youth movements. With the 2027 UP polls now firmly on the political radar, Azad's remarks signal an early mobilisation effort targeting young and first-time voters who feel locked out of both jobs and political representation.