Opposition BJP-JD(S) back job aspirants' agitation in K'taka, demand steps to fill vacant posts
Bengaluru (PTI): The opposition BJP- JD(S) on Tuesday blamed the ruling Congress in Karnataka for the government job aspirants' stir in Dharwad.
The BJP reminded the Congress about the election promise made by its leader Rahul Gandhi in 2023 to fill 2.5 lakh jobs once it came to power.
A large number of job seekers on Tuesday staged a massive protest in Dharwad and were taken into preventive custody while demanding filling vacant posts.
The BJP and the JD(S) have backed the agitation with the Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka and several MLAs taking part in the agitation.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, state BJP president B Y Vijayendra charged that ever since the Congress government came to power, it has not been able to fill even a single post.
He alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D K Shivakumar, and ministers have been delivering speeches across the state, but have failed to deliver justice to the youths of the state.
"For the past two-and-a-half years, young people have been in tears, staging protests and agitations, yet none of this has been taken into account. It is unfortunate that even during the Belagavi Assembly session, when the All Karnataka State Students’ Association (AKSSA) staged protests, they were subjected to a lathi charge, and still the government did not wake up," Vijayendra alleged.
He said that 2.85 lakh posts in various government departments are lying vacant but the Congress government has not been able to initiate the recruitment process.
"Using the reservation issue as an excuse, the Congress government failed to argue properly in the High Court and is merely delaying the matter. There is no political will in this government to fill vacant posts and secure the future of the youth," the Shikaripura MLA said.
Vijayendra also shared a news report on 'X' which pertains to the Congress MP Rahul Gandhi making promise before the Assembly election to fill 2.5 lakh posts in the state on March 7, 2023.
He also put out the Congress manifesto in 2023, which reads, "to fill up approved vacancies in all government departments within one year."
Union Minister and the JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy appealed to the state government not to take lightly the fact that countless job aspirants have taken to the streets in Dharwad.
"It is the government's failure to fill vacant posts in a timely manner that has forced the youth to choose the path of protest. My only appeal to the youth is this-- let your protest remain peaceful. I stand with you," he said in a social media post.
He said there are 2.94 lakh government posts lying vacant in the state but "only Cabinet-rank posts are being filled in ‘super-fast’ mode. This clearly shows the priorities of the Congress government in Karnataka."
Citing a report of the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by R V Deshpande, the minister said there are seven lakh unemployed people in the state, who are waiting for government jobs.
He charged that the Congress in Karnataka wasted "three precious years in a power struggle over the chair".
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Coastal Karnataka History Summit logo unveiled in Bhatkal; call for research papers issued
Bhatkal: Preparations are under way for the upcoming Coastal Karnataka History Summit, with the official logo of the academic event unveiled at Dawat Centre by Students Islamic Organisation of India Bhatkal Unit in Bhatkal on February 22, 2026. The summit is scheduled to be held on May 5, 2026.
The initiative is being organised by the Centre for Education and Research & Analysis (CERA) with the aim of documenting and examining the historical evolution of Coastal Karnataka, including Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and adjoining areas of Kasaragod.
At the launch event, the organisers released the official Call for Papers, inviting scholars, researchers, academicians and students to submit original and unpublished research. Abstracts of 200 words, either in English or Kannada, must clearly mention the research question, methodology and key findings. The deadline for abstract submission is February 28, 2026. Selected participants will be informed by March 15, and full papers must be submitted by April 20.
The summit will centre around five broad themes. One section will explore the trade and economic networks of the coastal belt, including maritime routes, port towns, fisheries and commodity-based exchanges such as pepper trade. Another domain will examine social structures, caste formations and inter-community relations, along with the role of Islamic, Arab, Persian and local traditions in shaping the region’s cultural fabric.
A separate section will focus on the origin and growth of linguistic communities such as Tulu, Konkani, Beary, Moya Malayalam and Navayati. Governance and administration under different rulers — including the Alupa dynasty, Rani Abbakka, Tipu Sultan, the Nawaith Sultans of Bhatkal and developments after Independence — will also be studied. The fifth theme will highlight social reformers such as Narayana Guru, Syed Madani, Malik Deenar, Vakkom Moulavi, Sayyid Fazl Pasha and Kudmul Ranga Rao, and their contributions to education and social reform.
The logo launch programme was attended by senior journalist Dr. Haneef Shabab, JIH Bhatkal President
Bhatkal: Preparations are under way for the upcoming Coastal Karnataka History Summit, with the official logo of the academic event unveiled at Dawat Centre by Students Islamic Organisation of India Bhatkal Unit in Bhatkal on February 22, 2026. The summit is scheduled to be held on May 5, 2026.
The initiative is being organised by the Centre for Education and Research & Analysis (CERA) with the aim of documenting and examining the historical evolution of Coastal Karnataka, including Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and adjoining areas of Kasaragod.
At the launch event, the organisers released the official Call for Papers, inviting scholars, researchers, academicians and students to submit original and unpublished research. Abstracts of 200 words, either in English or Kannada, must clearly mention the research question, methodology and key findings. The deadline for abstract submission is February 28, 2026. Selected participants will be informed by March 15, and full papers must be submitted by April 20.
The summit will centre around five broad themes. One section will explore the trade and economic networks of the coastal belt, including maritime routes, port towns, fisheries and commodity-based exchanges such as pepper trade. Another domain will examine social structures, caste formations and inter-community relations, along with the role of Islamic, Arab, Persian and local traditions in shaping the region’s cultural fabric.
A separate section will focus on the origin and growth of linguistic communities such as Tulu, Konkani, Beary, Moya Malayalam and Navayati. Governance and administration under different rulers — including the Alupa dynasty, Rani Abbakka, Tipu Sultan, the Nawaith Sultans of Bhatkal and developments after Independence — will also be studied. The fifth theme will highlight social reformers such as Narayana Guru, Syed Madani, Malik Deenar, Vakkom Moulavi, Sayyid Fazl Pasha and Kudmul Ranga Rao, and their contributions to education and social reform.
The logo launch programme was attended by senior journalist Dr. Haneef Shabab, JIH Bhatkal President Moulana Syed Zubair SM, SIO Bhatkal President Mohammed Zayan Bangali, Unit Secretary Githreef Rida Manvi and Media Secretary Mashaikh Talish.
Organisers said the summit intends to create a structured academic space for discussing the region’s layered past and bringing local histories into wider public and scholarly discourse. For submissions and queries, researchers may contact coastalkarnatakahistorysummit@gmail.com.
Moulana Syed Zubair SM, SIO Bhatkal President Mohammed Zayan Bangali, Unit Secretary Githreef Rida Manvi and Media Secretary Mashaikh Talish.
Organisers said the summit intends to create a structured academic space for discussing the region’s layered past and bringing local histories into wider public and scholarly discourse. For submissions and queries, researchers may contact
