Congress campaign to corner govt on unemployment

New Delhi: Congress is looking to corner the central government on unemployment with its new social media campaign - #SpeakUpForJobs - as Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister is not listening to the youth.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi said, "For the future of youth first the Nyay scheme should be implemented and MSMEs be supported because they are the backbone of the country."

While Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that "due to an increase in privatisation and bad government policies jobs are at risk and moreover there is a moratorium in new appointments."

The Congress targeted the government and alleged: "it only takes care of richer people, millionaires, and corporate sector but it is not bothered about employment creation and the youth and does not give consideration to the farmers."

The campaign comes after Congress workers clashed with the police in Lucknow on Wednesday night as they attempted to take out a candlelight march in protest against unemployment and other issues. The Congress workers were also expressing their support to the '9 Baje, 9 Minute' call when they were stopped by the police.

The party alleged that the BJP-led NDA government had failed to fulfil its promises on the creation of jobs in the last six years and only made "hollow promises".

Congress said that with a labour force of 42.8 crore in the country, including 3.6 crore unemployed, generation of jobs should be the top priority of the government at the moment.

The opposition party claimed that the outlook for the Indian economy looked "bleak" as the quarterly GDP numbers of -23.9 per cent growth showed.

Rahul Gandhi said: "Twelve crore jobs have vanished, the 5-trillion-dollar economy has vanished, the common man's income too and so the country's prosperity has vanished."