Bhubaneswar, May 16: The state Youth Congress today staged a demonstration in the city, demanding jobs for unemployed youths.

The agitating members also scuffled with cops after they tried to break the police cordon and march towards the Assembly.

Thousands of youth members took part in the Yuva Adhikar Samabesh held at Lower PMG Square.

All India Youth Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Brar attended the protest meeting, along with several senior leaders of the party, including Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee chief Prasad Harichandan.

Brar took a dig at both the state government and the Centre for unemployment in Odisha. "We are fighting for the cause of youths with the support of our senior leaders. The state government should provide jobs to the unemployed youths and compensate the (families of) farmers committing suicide under financial burden. Besides, it should refund money to investors, whom the Ponzi firms had duped," said Brar.

The Congress demonstration assumes significance as it was the first major demonstration by the party after it was decimated in the recently concluded panchayat polls. Several members of the state unit recently visited All India Congress Committee vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, indicating a possible change in the state leadership.

Youth Congress state working president Lokanath Maharathy slammed the ruling BJD for failing to provide jobs to the state's youths. "It is an irony that the youths of the state are unemployed even though Odisha is a mineral rich state. The BJD has been in power for the past 17 years but hasnever tried to create job opportunities for the youths. If it cannot provide jobs, the state government should at least give adequate allowance to the unemployed youths," said Maharathy.

The police made elaborate law and order arrangements and also detained around 40 agitators after they scuffled with the cops.

According to sources, no untoward incident took place during the demonstration.

Former state Youth Congress president Sangram Jena threatened to intensify the agitation in the near future. "The state government has signed a number of MoUs and has been claiming to have created job opportunities. But, the reality is that the youths of the stare are finding it difficult to find jobs," said Jena.