New Delhi: Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge said on Sunday that the biggest issue in the Lok Sabha elections is unemployment imposed by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee of providing 2 crore jobs reverberates as a bad dream in the hearts of our youth.
In a long post on his social media platform X, the Congress chief said, "The biggest issue in these Lok Sabha elections is Unemployment, imposed by the BJP. Our Youth are struggling to find jobs, and we are staring at a demographic nightmare. Take the case of India's Premier Institutes - IITs and IIMs Across 12 IITs, around 30% of our students are not getting regular placements. Only 20% of 21 IIMs could complete the summer placements so far. If this is the situation in IITs and IIMs, then one can imagine how the BJP has destroyed the future of our Youth across the country," Kharge wrote.
"The rate of youth unemployment under Modi Govt has tripled since 2014. The ILO's recent India Employment Report showed that each year, India adds around 70-80 lakh youths to the labour force, but between 2012 and 2019, there was almost ZERO growth in employment - just 0.01%!," he said.
"Modi Ki Guarantee' about providing 2 Cr Jobs reverberates as a bad dream in the hearts and minds of our Youth!," the Congress leader said. "Any diploma or degree holder below the age of 25, will now have a legal right to demand employment and shall be paid at least Rs 1 Lakh per year. This would remove the barriers that separate work and learning, thereby opening fresh avenues for career growth," he said.
Kharge on Saturday said that, unlike PM Modi, his party does not make false promises. The remarks came after Congress released its manifesto titled 'Nyay Patra' on Friday while the BJP had called it "bundle of false claims".
Kharge said, "We have promised to fulfil 25 guarantees, if our party comes to power. Unlike PM Modi, we don't tell lies. He has given several guarantees, but I want to ask you which guarantee has been fulfilled so far. He gave the guarantee to provide 2 crore jobs every year. So, in the last 10 years, he had to provide 20 crore jobs. I want to ask if you have got 20 crore jobs or not?"
Earlier, on Friday, the Congress came out with its 'Nyay Patra' or manifesto for the seven-phased Lok Sabha elections, guaranteeing, among others, a minimum support price (MSP) to farmers on their produce as per the Swaminathan Commission report. The Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held across seven phases, starting April 19. The counting of votes is scheduled for June 4.
