Taking a cue from Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the party's Maharashtra unit on Monday slammed Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari's comment on "lack of employment opportunities" in the country.
On Monday, Gandhi took a swipe at the government over unemployment by tweeting: "Excellent question (Nitin) Gadkariji. Every Indian is asking the same question. Where are the jobs?"
"With his statement, Gadkari has confirmed that there is growing joblessness in the country. It is a direct outcome of the wrong policies of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said state Congress President Ashok Chavan.
He pointed out that the Congress has repeatedly raised the issue of massive unemployment in the country, but the BJP-led government has been "misleading the nation by giving out false figures."
"Now Modi must come out with a clarification," said Chavan.
Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam said in its 2014 election manifesto, the BJP had promised to create two crore jobs annually.
"While 30,000 youngsters enter the job market daily, the government is providing jobs to only 450 of them, or just 1.5 per cent of the youth. So where will the remaining educated and qualified youngster go? What alternatives has the government planned for them," Nirupam asked.
Nationalist Congress Party state spokesperson Nawab Malik said Gadkari's statement exposes "the BJP's failure to create new jobs" in the economy.
"They keep lying about jobs and investments, but the situation is so alarming that even a senior minister (Gadkari) has to accept the failure," Malik said.
--IANS
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