Rahul Gandhi says Modi policies cost 14 crore jobs, launches 'Rozgar Do' campaign

Launching the ‘Rozgar Do’ (provide employment) campaign on Sunday, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic policies, saying the PM had promised to generate two crore jobs every year but that his policies had instead cost up to 14 crore people their livelihoods.

In a video message delivered on Twitter on the occasion of the 60th founding year of the Indian Youth Congress, Rahul Gandhi attacked Modi's track record on generating employment.

“When Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, he promised the youth of this country that he would give employment to two crore people every year. He sold a dream, but the truth is 14 crore people have been made jobless by his policies,” he said.

He added that this happened due to wrong policies like demonetisation, GST and the COVID-19 lockdown, because of which India’s economic structure had been destroyed. “The truth now is India cannot give its youth jobs,” he said.

He said that because of this, the Youth Congress was launching the Rozgar Do campaign to raise the youth of the country against unemployment.

“India is the youngest country in the world with the maximum number of employable youth, so employment stands as the most important need of the country That is why we have decided to launch the ‘Rozgar Do’ campaign to raise the voice of the unemployed youth across the country,” the IYC said in statement.

Congress leader K.C. Venugopal also tweeted, saying, “BJP Promised: 2 crore jobs a year. BJP Delivered: Highest unemployment rate in decades & millions of job losses due to their policies. How can the nation progress when its youth doesn't have the opportunities for employment? Join the #RozgarDo Campaign & raise your voice.”

Several Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh also joined in on the Rozgar Do campaign.

MP unit president of the IYC Kunal Choudhary took to Twitter to criticise the BJP-led government at the Centre.

"Unemployment is the biggest issue in our country. Since Independence, the unemployment rate is the highest in the country under the Narendra Modi government. Instead of giving two crore jobs, the prime minister has snatched jobs from the youths," he alleged in a tweet.

He said that 40,000 unemployed youths in the state are being reached out to through social media platforms as part of the campaign.

Veteran Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijay Singh said in a tweet, "I am also joining the MP IYC campaign #RozgarDo. Narendra Modiji has said two crore people will get jobs annually. Instead, people have been rendered unemployed."

"First note ban caused unemployment then imposition of Goods and Services Tax (GST), and the means he (Modi) took to fight the coronavirus has caused more employment," he said.

"Business, trade and industry stands ruined. Instead of getting jobs, people are being sacked," he added.

With inputs from PTI