Mallikarjun Kharge rebuts PM Modi’s claim of creating 8 crore jobs

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has launched a counterattack following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks about job creation.

PM Modi, citing an RBI report, claimed that nearly 4.7 crore jobs were created during 2023-24, which he said should silence critics spreading "fake narratives about unemployment." However, Kharge has accused the Prime Minister of fabricating a "web of lies."

Addressing PM Modi directly, Kharge referenced the Prime Minister’s announcement of the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) in August 2020. The PM had then touted the NRA as a significant boon for young job seekers, promising that the general eligibility exam would eliminate the need for multiple exams, thereby saving time and resources while enhancing transparency.

Kharge posed three critical questions: "Why has the NRA not conducted a single exam in four years? Why has it spent just Rs 58 crore of the Rs 1,517 crore allocated? Has the NRA been intentionally kept inactive to undermine the reservation rights of SC, ST, OBC, and EWS communities?"

Kharge also highlighted issues with the National Testing Agency (NTA), accusing it of manipulating exams and leaking papers, while the NRA has remained inactive. He alleged that the BJP-RSS alliance is intent on destroying the education system and jeopardizing the future of young people. Despite previous calls for action on the NRA, Kharge claims the Modi government has remained silent.

This rebuttal comes after PM Modi, during an event in Mumbai where he inaugurated infrastructure projects worth Rs 29,000 crore, pointed to the RBI report on job creation. The PM asserted that this data should debunk the Opposition’s narratives on unemployment.

He accused those spreading such narratives of being adversaries to investment, infrastructure development, and national growth, claiming their policies betray youth and hinder employment opportunities. According to Modi, the public is increasingly rejecting these "lies."