Rahul poses three questions to PM Modi on jobs, BJP rebuts charges with ‘hard facts’

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday posed three questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over “grim” job scenario in country and accused the Centre of abandoning the Rs 10,000 crore ‘Employment Linked Incentive’ (ELI) scheme, launched with fanfare a year ago.

Rahul accused the Centre of focusing and promoting large corporates and looking down upon the MSMEs, the major driving force of the country’s economy.

However, the BJP was quick to dismiss Congress MP’s charges on the ELI scheme and the Modi government’s seriousness on addressing the unemployment issue.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya took to X and shared a detailed list of job generation, strengthening of the agricultural and services sector under the Modi government.

He shared several “hard facts” to strongly rebut the charges and also to “school” the Congress leader on how the economy suffered under the UPA and soared under the BJP-led NDA.

Taking strong objection to Rahul’s claims of relinquishing the ELI scheme, Malviya called it a ‘calculated strategy to distort reality’.

“Either Rahul Gandhi’s team has completely failed to brief him on the facts, or—far more likely—he’s weaponizing his trademark ignorance to gaslight India’s youth. This isn’t a gaffe; it’s a calculated strategy to distort reality, using his platform to spread misinformation under the guise of cluelessness,” he wrote in a post on X.

Rahul, training guns at the government, alleged, “It’s been nearly a year since announcing the scheme, the government hasn’t even defined it and has returned Rs 10,000 crore allotted to it. This shows how serious the PM is about unemployment.”

Replying to this, Malviya said that the PM Internship Scheme for FY 2024–25 has already been rolled out. Over 1.25 lakh applicants have got internships, 327 companies have offered internships to 1.18 lakh youth across all districts, while 3.9 lakh youth applications have been received so far.

“While the Modi government delivers on-ground programmes and measurable results, your legacy remains empty slogans and broken promises – the very ‘jumlas’ you accuse others of,” Malviya said.

On Rahul’s charges of NDA favouring “crony capitalism”, Malviya sought to show Congress leader the mirror by stating UPA’s track record marred by scams, corruption and policy paralysis.

“India’s youth are watching. They know the difference between governance that delivers – and a dynasty that deceives,” he said.

IANS