Congress launches online attack on Govt through #SpeakUpForJobs

Índia's main opposition Congress party on September 10 launched an online campaign to attack the Narendra Modi-led BJP government over rising unemployment in the wake of  the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senior party leaders including former president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, tweeted with the hashtag #SpeakUpForJobs asking people to “speak for the country’s future”.

“The policies of Modi Govt have caused the loss of crores of jobs and a historic fall in GDP. It has crushed the future of India’s youth. Let’s make the Govt listen to their voice,” Rahul Gandhi said in his tweet that has a video message attached with it urging people to be part of the campaign being run on September 10

Following Gandhi’s tweet, the Congress party's twitter handle also shared the message.

“Lakhs of Indians are losing jobs every day, whether it was in locked down India or unlocked India. All BJP does is silently watch on. The Nation will not stay silent, the Nation will #SpeakUpForJobs,” the party handle posted in one of the tweets.

The campaign comes at a time when India saw its economy contract by 23.9 percent in the June quarter - the steepest fall in four decades. The pandemic-induced lockdown severely crimped economic activity across the country and the government has come in for criticism from opposition parties for its handling of the crisis.

“Jobs are under stress because of privatisation, reduced government expenses and bad economic policies of the BJP government. The government has also stopped recruiting for existing vacancies. We need to speak up for the future of the country. I am speaking, You do, too,” Congress general secretary and Rahul Gandhi's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, tweeted in Hindi.

Of late, Opposition parties, including the Congress, have stepped up their attacks against the government over the economic crisis, rise of unemployment and dismal GDP figures. With a labour force of 42.8 crore, including 3.6 crore unemployed, across the country, the government's top priority should be jobs creation, the Congress said.

On September 9, two Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh — the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) -- launched a campaign urging people to switch off lights and light candles to highlight rising unemployment and other issues facing the country.

“The promise was of providing two crore jobs every year. Instead of providing 12 crore jobs in six years, 14 crore jobs have been snatched away,” said Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been vociferous in his condemnation of the government and has consistently targeted Prime Minister Modi over issues such as demonetisation, the flawed implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the ongoing border dispute with China.