Rahul’s comments followed an incident in Gujarat’s Bharuch district, where approximately 800 people turned up for walk-in interviews for just 40 vacancies…reports Asian Lite News
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, asserted on Thursday that unemployment in India has escalated to epidemic proportions, particularly in BJP-ruled states. His comments followed an incident in Gujarat’s Bharuch district, where approximately 800 people turned up for walk-in interviews for just 40 vacancies at a firm in Ankleshwar, resulting in a chaotic, stampede-like situation.
Videos circulating on social media showed a massive queue outside the hotel where the interviews were being held, with applicants pushing and shoving to secure a spot on the ramp leading to the entrance. The railing of the ramp eventually collapsed, causing several individuals to fall, though no injuries were reported.
Gandhi posted on X, formerly Twitter, in Hindi, stating, “The ‘disease of unemployment’ has taken the form of an epidemic in India and BJP-ruled states have become the ‘epicentre’ of this disease.” He further criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure, remarking, “The ‘future of India’ standing in queues for a common job is the reality of Narendra Modi’s ‘Amrit Kaal.'”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also condemned the BJP, sharing the viral video and calling it evidence of the “cheating model” the BJP has imposed on Gujarat for 22 years. In his post on X, Kharge accused the Modi government of depriving youth of jobs and ruining their future over the past decade. He cited issues such as paper leaks, recruitment corruption, the influence of education mafias, prolonged vacancies in government positions, and schemes like Agniveer that have left many young people struggling for employment.
Citing an International Labour Organisation report claiming that “83 per cent of unemployed in the country are youth”, Kharge held Prime Minister Narendra Modi solely responsible for shattering the dreams of crores of youth in the last ten years.
In a long series of tweets, Kharge said, “Modi Govt may be refuting independent economic reports like Citigroup on unemployment, but how will it deny government data? The truth is that Modi Govt is solely responsible for shattering the dreams of crores of Youth in the last 10 years!”.
Kharge added: “The latest government data punctures their claims – According to NSSO’s Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE). In the manufacturing sector, 54 lakh jobs have been lost in unincorporated units in 7 years! (Between the year 2015 to 2023). In 2010-11, 10.8 crore employees were employed in unincorporated, non-agricultural enterprises across India, which has become 10.96 crore in 2022-23 – that is, a marginal increase of only 16 lakh in 12 years!”
“According to the latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), the Urban Unemployment Rate is at 6.7%. (Q4, FY24). Modi Govt beats the drum of employment generation in the Formal sector by showing EPFO data, but even if we assume that data to be true, it has seen a 10% decline in new jobs in 2023. A report by IIM Lucknow, after analysing government data, shows that unemployment growth, high unemployment among the educated, and low participation of women in the workforce are prevalent in the country. (2024)”, the Congress Chief added in his post.
“Modi Govt rejects independent economic reports because they expose their shameless attempt to whitewash,” Kharge said, adding, “According to the CMIE, the current Unemployment Rate in the country has reached 9.2%, and among women, it is a whopping 18.5%. According to the ILO report, 83% of the unemployed in the country are youth. According to the India Employment Report 2024, between 2012 and 2019, about 7 crore youth joined the labour force, but there was zero growth in employment – only 0.01%!”.
“According to the 2023 report of Azim Premji University, 42.3% of graduates under the age of 25 in the country are unemployed. According to the latest report of Citigroup, India needs 1.2 crore jobs annually, and even 7% GDP growth will not be able to create enough jobs for our youth. Under the Modi Govt, the country has achieved an average of only 5.8% as GDP growth,” Kharge added.
Further attacking the Narendra Modi government, Kharge said, “Be it government jobs, or private sector, self-employment or unorganised sector – Modi Govt has only one mission — “Keep the youth Jobless”. (ANI)
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