NEW DELHI: Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday posed three inquiries to Prime Minister Narendra Modi relating to unemployment, and criticised the federal government’s strategy to job creation.
Rahul particularly focused the “Employment Linked Incentive” (ELI) scheme, alleging that regardless of its announcement earlier than the 2024 election, this system stays undefined, with its allotted Rs 10,000 crores reportedly returned to the treasury.
“After the 2024 election, PM Modi announced the ‘Employment Linked Incentive’ scheme with much fanfare, promising to provide employment to our youth,” Rahul stated in a submit on X.
“It’s been nearly a year since announcing the scheme, the government hasn’t even defined it, and has returned the Rs 10,000 crores allotted to it. This shows how serious the PM is about unemployment,” he added.
The Congress chief argued that job creation can’t be achieved by favouring large corporates and sidelining India’s conventional abilities and micro enterprises. “Jobs can’t be created by focusing only on large corporates, promoting cronies over fair-play businesses, prioritising assembly over production, and disregarding India’s indigenous skills,” he stated.
Gandhi proposed that significant employment might solely come by “large-scale investment in MSMEs, fair markets where competition can thrive, support for local production networks and youth equipped with the right skills.” However he added, “The PM won’t agree with these ideas.”
He requested the Prime Minister, “You announced ELI with great showmanship – but where has this Rs 10,000 crore scheme disappeared? Have you abandoned our unemployed youth along with your promises?”
He additionally questioned the sincerity of Modi’s broader financial agenda. “While you create new slogans every day, our youth are still waiting for real opportunities. What is your concrete plan to generate the crores of jobs India desperately needs, or is this just another jumla?”
Congress final month had launched the ‘palayan roko naukri do’ yatra in Bihar focusing on the “unemployment in the province which is blamed for migration of young population on a large scale.”
‘Misinformation under the guise of cluelessness’: BJP hits again
The BJP sharply responded to Rahul allegations and accused him of “weaponising ignorance” to mislead younger Indians. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT cell, stated Gandhi was both “poorly briefed” or intentionally distorting info to “gaslight India’s youth.” He pointed to job creation figures, noting that underneath the Modi authorities, 17.19 crore jobs had been generated between 2014 and 2024—in comparison with simply 2.9 crore underneath the UPA’s decade-long rule.
Malviya added that youth unemployment had dropped from 17.8% in 2017–18 to 10.2% at the moment, with employability rising from 34% in 2013 to just about 55% in 2024. He additionally defended the federal government’s Employment Linked Incentive programme, citing the launch of the PM Internship Scheme, which has already attracted 3.9 lakh candidates.
“While the Modi government delivers on-ground programmes and measurable results, Rahul Gandhi continues with empty slogans and broken promises,” Malviya stated, additionally taking a dig at Congress’ previous report of “scams, corruption, and policy paralysis.”
