New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday questioned the Centre over ‘unemployment’ and alleged that two lakh jobs were ‘eliminated’ from PSUs, while also accusing the government of trampling upon the hopes of youths for the ‘benefit of a few crony capitalist friends’.

Gandhi said that the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) used to be the pride of the country and alleged that they are ‘not the priority of the government’. He asked if the jobs ‘decrease in a progressing country’.

“Employment in PSUs of the country has come down from 16.9 lakh in 2014 to only 14.6 lakh in 2022. Do jobs decrease in a progressing country? 1,81,127 jobs lost in BSNL; 61,928 in SAIL; 34,997 in MTNL; 29,140 in SECL; 28,063 in FCI; 21,120 in ONGC,” the Congress leader said in a tweet in Hindi.

Rahul Gandhi takes swipe at BJP government over job promises

He took a swipe at the BJP over its promise of providing 2 crore jobs every year to the youth and said that instead of providing employment, the government ‘eliminated’ over two lakh jobs.

“Those who made false promises of 2 crore jobs every year, instead of increasing the jobs, eliminated more than 2 lakhs,” Gandhi tweeted.

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“On top of this, almost doubled the contract recruitments in these institutions. Is increasing contract employees not a way of taking away the constitutional right of reservation? Is this a conspiracy to privatise these companies? Industrialists’ loans waived, and government jobs eliminated from PSU’s! What kind of ‘Amrit Kaal’ is this” he added.

He asked why are jobs ‘disappearing’, if ‘this is really Amrit Kaal’.

‘Country is grappling with record unemployment’

“The country is grappling with record unemployment under this government as the hopes of lakhs of youth are being trampled upon for the benefit of a few crony capitalist friends,” Gandhi alleged.

The Congress leader emphasised on providing the ‘right environment’ for PSUs and said that if they get the government’s support, they are capable of boosting both the economy and employment.

“If the PSUs of India get the right environment and support from the government, they are capable of increasing both the economy and employment. PSUs are the property of the country and the countrymen, they have to be promoted so that they can strengthen the path of India’s progress,” he tweeted.

(With PTI inputs)

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