Kharge Slams PM Modi Over 'Eight Crore New Jobs' Remark, Calls It 'Rubbing Salt Into Wounds...'

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday for claiming that eight crore new jobs had been generated, accusing him of "rubbing salt into the wounds" of the youth by "telling one lie after another." His attack comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated last week that the creation of eight crore new jobs in the last three to four years has "silenced" those peddling false stories about unemployment.

The prime minister stated, citing a recent Reserve Bank of India employment report, that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government prioritized stability and growth, and that small and large investors greeted the NDA's third term with enthusiasm. Taking to X, Kharge said, "Narendra Modi ji, By telling one lie after another on jobs, you are rubbing salt into the wounds of the youth!"

"That is why we want to ask you three questions regarding the questionable data of the RBI -- Why is it that you promised 20 crore jobs in 10 years, but took away more than 12 crore jobs?

"According to the RBI report, there was an increase of 2.1 crore in employment between 2012 and 2019, but the International Labour Organization (ILO) report says that this increase is only 2 lakh. In fact, the main source of both reports is the government PLFS survey. So what is the truth then," he asked.

Is it not true that according to the government PLFS data, the source of the RBI report, 37 per cent of working women are unpaid, Kharge added. In rural areas, this figure is at a horrifying level of 43 per cent, he said.

"Is it not true that according to the government's own Annual Survey of Unincorporated Sector Enterprises (ASUSE), the informal manufacturing sector lost 54 lakh jobs in seven years due to the triple impact of demonetisation, flawed GST and Covid-19," the Congress leader asked.

"Even if RBI data is to be believed, it is not a matter of joy that people like factory-workers, teachers, small shopkeepers etc., who had gone to their villages due to the pandemic, are having to work as agricultural labourers. The RBI report shows that there are 2.3 crore such people who did not return to their regular jobs between 2019-20 and 2022-23," Kharge said.

It is not clear how the RBI arrived at its 2023–24 numbers, given that it did not reveal the sector-wise breakup, something it did in previous years, the Congress chief said.

"Modi ji, stop hiding the promise of providing 2 Crore Jobs per year, by misusing RBI and publishing FAKE reports," he said.