PM Modi has turned India into a centre of unemployment: Rahul Gandhi in Bihar
Addressing an election rally in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, Gandhi took potshots at the Modi government with issues such as unemployment and economic deprivation.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of turning the country into “a centre of unemployment” and said that the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, if voted to power, will ensure “a first job guarantee” to all graduates and diploma holders by providing them paid apprenticeship for a year.
Addressing an election rally in Bihar’s Bhagalpur, Gandhi took potshots at the Modi government with issues such as unemployment and economic deprivation.
The second phase of the election will take place in the constituencies of Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar, Bhagalpur and Banka on April 26. Gaya (SC), Aurangabad, Jamui (SC) and Nawada went to polls in the first phase on Friday.
Gandhi said that most of the youths are spending seven to eight hours daily on Instagram, Facebook and other social media sites as they don’t have jobs. “Modi has aggravated unemployment in the country. Those able to provide jobs have been devastated due to demonetisation and wrong Goods and Services Tax regime,” he claimed.
Offering the INDIA bloc’s vision for economic empowerment and transformation of the job market, he said the coalition will ensure the ‘first job guarantee’ for all graduates and diploma holders by offering them ₹1 lakh each per annum and let them join the apprenticeship for a year with various industries under private and public sectors. “Those performing better would be absorbed by the industries they do the internship in, while those left out will be the availabile trained workforce of the country,” he added.
Claiming that the government waived off about ₹16 lakh crore debt owed by 20-22 industrial houses, Gandhi said the amount of loan waved to businessmen would be used to boost economic empowerment of the society. “We are going to give ₹1 lakh to one woman in each poor family in a year, which means ₹8,500 every month. This amount would be used for the family’s welfare,” the Congress MP from Wayanad said.
Gandhi further alleged the Modi-led dispensation accentuated the rich-poor divide and said that the wrong policy of the government allowed only “22 people of the country” to own assets of more than 70 crore people put together.
“Select businessmen are being given away ownership on major government infrastructure like ports, power, airports, defence, etc. But, the Centre has nothing to offer anything to provide relief to the farmers, poor and other deprived sections,” he said.
Gandhi also assured people that if voted to power, the INDIA bloc will raise the minimum wage to ₹400 and double the honorarium to ASHA and Anganwadi workers, besides restoring the old system of recruitment in defence forces and removing temporary systems of recruitment.
Former Bihar deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahni, Bihar Congress in-charge Mohan Prakash and Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh attended the event.