Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, June 19: Against the backdrop of widespread protests against the new military recruiting process, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi unleashed a stinging attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, saying that by continually promising bogus jobs, he has pushed the youth to walk the ‘Agnipath’ of unemployment.
He further claimed that 16 crore employment will be distributed in eight years, but that the kids would only be taught how to ‘fry pakoras.’
His criticism came on the same day that Congress MPs and top leaders, including general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, sat on a “Satyagraha” at the Jantar Mantar in support of the Agnipath protesters.
“By repeatedly giving false hope of jobs, the prime minister has forced the youth of the country to walk on the ‘Agnipath’ of unemployment,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted in Hindi.
बार-बार नौकरी की झूठी उम्मीद दे कर, प्रधानमंत्री ने देश के युवाओं को बेरोज़गारी के ‘अग्निपथ’ पर चलने के लिए मजबूर किया है।
8 सालों में, 16 करोड़ नौकरियां देनी थीं मगर युवाओं को मिला सिर्फ़ पकोड़े तलने का ज्ञान।
देश की इस हालत के ज़िम्मेदार केवल प्रधानमंत्री हैं।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 19, 2022
“In 8 years, 16 crore jobs were to be given but the youth only got knowledge on frying pakoras,” he added.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi has urged party leaders and workers to skip his birthday celebrations on Sunday. He added in a message to them Saturday night that the country’s youth were distraught and protesting in the streets, and that Congress workers should join them.
The Centre announced several incentives for Agnipath retirees on Saturday, including a 10% reservation in vacancies in the defence ministry and paramilitary forces, in an attempt to defuse the violent protests that continued in many states against the new military recruitment scheme, as opposition parties increased pressure for its withdrawal.