Bhim Army launches student wing

Lucknow: The Bhim Army has launched its student wing, the Bhim Army Students Federation (BASF), aimed at creating awareness among the youth.

Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar told reporters here on Monday that the idea behind the student wing was to create awareness among youth belonging to the SC/ST, OBC and minorities about their rights and duties.

"The youth is the future of the country and we need to empower them," he said.

Chandra Shekhar added that students belonging to these sections were being asked to pay high fees under one pretext or the other and were also being victimized on the campus.

"The BASF will prepare the youths to be leaders instead of followers and understand their duties towards the nation," he said.

Chandra Shekhar said that after Lucknow, the BASF would be launched in Pune, Maharashtra, and in all other states, thereafter.

Replying to a question, the Bhim Army leader said that earlier a sum of Rs 630 crore had been set aside for Dalit students which has now been reduced to Rs 283 crores.

He said that in the 2022 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the youth would emerge as game-changers.

"We are working towards building up our army of leaders - leaders who cannot be bought with money. We want our leaders to move out of air-conditioned rooms and work amidst the poor and the downtrodden," he said, adding that the Bhim Army would also try to break the nexus between businessmen and politicians.