Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat dubs Rahul Gandhi a 'jumla'

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh feels that Congress President Rahul Gandhi is a 'jumla' and is of the opinion that he is not taken seriously in the country.

Speaking at the News18 Rising India Summit, CM Rawat said, "Although he is 47, Rahul Gandhi has a lot to learn in the political sphere. He is not taken seriously, people consider him an entertainer. He blames our jumlas but he himself is a jumla”.

On Uttar Pradesh bypolls debacle

The 57-year-old Chief Minister said that BJP's loss in Gorakhpur and Phulpur bypolls because of 'gath jod (political manoeuvring)’.

"Our focus is on economically backward states. We won in Tripura because of PM Narendra Modi's focus in smaller states. However, we lost in Gorakhpur because of gath jod. They could not fight us alone and they know it," Rawat said.

"If Uttar Pradesh is destroyed right now, it's because of Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party. Akhilesh has played the politics of caste and he has turned the state into one,” he said, adding that “There is a running joke in UP that when a Yadav takes birth he is destined to be a Superintendent of police. Such is the caste card played in the state that government jobs were being distributed in the name of caste."

On unemployment

When asked about unemployment, CM Rawat said that it was something that all states had to face and government jobs were not the answer.

"Every government's biggest challenge is unemployment. In a country where 87% of the population is young, employment generation is a necessity and a challenge. There are only limited many government jobs available. Hence we need to work towards self-employment and Startup India needs to be pushed. For example, the demand for organic products is increasing and that can be a source of employment," Rawat added.