Mangalore: The Democratic Youth Federation of India urged youths to support candidates representing the Left parties or those from the third alternative that the Left parties support in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a public meeting at the end of two day district DYFI meeting on Monday, DYFI district president Muneer Katipalla said both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party were two sides of the same coin. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi — whom he described as prime ministerial candidates from the two parties — were being backed by corporate entities. Kannada actor Chetan said the youth should continue their fight till equality was achieved in society. There should be no barriers of caste, creed and language. “All languages are ours. Efforts should be made to grow it.” He recalled the contribution made to literature from Beary, Konkani, Tulu and Malayalam. “If we accept these languages, we will grow,” he said.

DYFI State president M.L. Bharatraj and CITU district secretary Vasanth Achary also spoke. In a meeting of the district DYFI held in Kolya, Mr. Katipalla was unanimously re-elected as the district unit president. The names of the other office-bearers of DYFI elected were Dayanand Shetty (Secretary), Jeevanraj Kuttar (Treasurer), Ashok Shetty Chemugudde (vice president), B.K. Imtiyaz (vice president) and Pramila K. Shatinagar (vice president).