india

Updated: Feb 01, 2019 09:28 IST

With reports quoting the National Sample Survey Office’s figures for 2017-18 saying that unemployment rate has touched the highest level in 45 years, Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi referring to his pre-2014 Lok Sabha election promise of “2 crore jobs”. Rahul Gandhi said the promise has turned into “a National Disaster” in five years.

“NoMo Jobs!” Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter adding, “The Fuhrer (a term used by Nazi Germany for its ruler Adolf Hitler) promised us 2 Cr jobs a year. 5 years later, his leaked job creation report card reveals a National Disaster.”

“Unemployment is at its highest in 45 yrs…6.5 Cr youth are jobless in 2017-18 alone. Time for NoMo2Go,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress president’s fresh attack on PM Modi follows a news report that claimed that the NSSO survey for 2017-18, the first conducted after demonetization, showed a sharp spike in joblessness in the country. The report claimed that the NSSO figures show that unemployment rate, which was 2.2 per cent in 2011-12, rose to 6 per cent.

Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s charge, the BJP said the Congress president “has myopic understanding of issues”. The BJP claimed that the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) data on job creation show “sharp increase” in employment generation. The party also called the report claiming unemployment at a very high level as “Fake News”.

“It’s clear that he has inherited Mussolini’s shortsightedness and has myopic understanding of issues. EPFO’s real data shows sharp increase in jobs, created in just the last 15 months. Only a man who hasn’t ever held a proper job and is totally jobless can peddle such #FakeNews,” the BJP wrote on Twitter replying to Rahul Gandhi’s post on the micro-blogging site.

The report gave a shot in the arm to the Opposition with the Congress saying that PM Modi “has devastated the economy”.

“In just five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has devastated the economy and driven unemployment to a 45-year high. The youth of India have one question for you Modiji, How’s The Jobs,” the Congress party wrote on Twitter.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “India does not want a government that has left the future of our youth in jeopardy.”

“Unemployment rate is at a 45-year-high. This is why the NSSO (National Sample Survey Office) Report was kept under the wraps. This is why members of NSC (National Statistical Commission) resigned. Promise of two crore jobs turned out to be a cruel joke,” said the Congress.

The Opposition has been targeting the Modi government over demonetisation, announced in November 2016, when 86 per cent of the currency was withdrawn in one stroke. The Opposition alleged that huge number of jobs were lost due to demonetisation with the small and medium scale businesses suffering the most.

The government has, however, defended demonetisation calling it a necessary course correction for the Indian economy. The government has also rejected reports claiming job loss due to demonetisation. The government has maintained that demonetisation led to formalisation of the informal sectors of Indian economy and brought huge amount of money, which was circulating out of the purview of the banks, in the system.

(With inputs from agencies)