With BJP back in power, UP man burns his certificates

In a bizarre incident, a 32-year-old man burnt his academic certificates of high school and intermediate in the Karhal town area of Mainpuri district because he said that he had lost hopes of getting a job after the BJP returned to power in Uttar Pradesh.

Sheelratan Bodh, who runs a computer centre, said, "I was hopeful that Akhilesh Yadav will form the government and I will get a job. But the BJP returned to power."

He said that in the next five years, he will be overage and disqualified for government jobs.

"I was upset by the election results and in frustration, I have burnt my academic certificates," he said.

For the past few years, Bodh has been providing service to students applying for jobs and admission at his computer centre located in front of the Karhal block office. He also sells stationery.

"In 2011, I met with a road accident in which both my legs were damaged. It took me over four years to recover. Otherwise, I would have secured a government job during the Akhilesh Yadav government from 2012-2017," he said.

He is also worried about his 26-year-old graduate brother who is struggling to get a government job.

Their father runs a homeopathy medicine centre in Karhal. Both brothers are unmarried.

Asked why the Samajwadi Party failed to form a government in the state, Bodh said, "I cannot point out the exact reasons but I think the party needs to work harder to win the confidence of the people. Akhilesh Yadav needs to remain in the election mode for the next five years if SP wants to overcome the BJP."

He hoped that the SP would come to power in 2027, so that his younger brother and others like him could get a government job.