Mallikarjun Kharge Counters PM Modi's '8 Crore Jobs' Claim, Calls It 'Web Of Lies'

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed the creation of 8 crore jobs in four years has silenced "those spreading fake narratives about unemployment," Congress has accused him of weaving a "web of lies."

"Mr Narendra Modi, in Mumbai yesterday, you were weaving a web of lies on giving out jobs. I would like to remind you what you said while announcing the National Recruitment Agency (NRA). In August 2020, you had said, 'NRA would prove to be a boon for crores of youngsters. This general eligibility exam would remove the need for multiple exams and save time and resources. It will also boost transparency,'" said Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, quoting the PM.

Photo Credit: PTI

Kharge then posed three questions - "Why has NRA not conducted a single exam in four years? Why has it spent just Rs 58 crore of the Rs 1,517 crore fund allocated? NRA was set up for recruitment to government jobs. Has it been kept dysfunctional deliberately to snatch the reservation rights of youngsters from SC, ST, OBC, and EWS communities?"

Referring to issues surrounding the question paper leak of multiple competitive exams, Kharge added, "NTA was used to manipulate exams and leak papers, and no exam was conducted by NRA. BJP-RSS have vowed to destroy the education system and finish the future of youngsters. We raised the issue of NRA earlier too, but the Modi government has taken a vow of silence."

Kharge's offensive comes a day after the PM referenced a RBI report stating that India added nearly 4.7 crore jobs during 2023-24. At an event in Mumbai, where he launched infrastructure projects worth Rs 29,000 crore, PM Modi took a swipe at Opposition for banking on the unemployment issue in their campaign for the Lok Sabha election.

"This figure has silenced those spreading fake narratives on jobs. Those who spread fake narratives are enemies of investment, infrastructure development, and enemies of the country's growth. Their every policy is about betraying youth and stalling employment. Now they are getting exposed as people are rejecting their lies," the PM said.