'NoMo Jobs': Rahul Gandhi targets PM over unemployment data

New Delhi, Jan 31: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a financial daily reported that the unemployment rate in the country hit a 45-year high.

Citing a media report on the leaked findings of the National Sample Survey Office's Periodic Labour Force Survey, Gandhi said, "NoMo Jobs! Unemployment is at its highest in 45 yrs. 6.5 Cr youth are jobless in 2017-18 alone. Time for NoMo2Go..."

Earlier, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also alleged that the unemployment rate is at a 45-year high and said this was the reason why the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) report on jobs was withheld. This is why the members of National Statistical Commission resigned, he claimed.

Soon after Gandhi's tweet referring to Modi as Fuhrer, the BJP claimed EPFO data showed a "sharp increase" in jobs over the past 15 months and also referred to Gandhi as inheriting "Mussolini's shortsightedness" and having "myopic understanding of issues".

The BJP's official Twitter handle tweeted, "It's clear that he has inherited Mussolini's shortsightedness and has myopic understanding of issues. EPFO's real data shows sharp increase in jobs, created in just the last 15 months. Only a man who hasn't ever held a proper job & is totally jobless can peddle such."

Surjewala said India does not want a government that has left the future of the youth in jeopardy. He also cited the media report to make his claims.

"Modi ji, Unemployment rate is at a 45-year high. This is why the NSSO Report was kept under the wraps. This is why members of NSC resigned.

"Promise of 2 crore jobs turned out to be a cruel joke. India does not want a Government that has left the future of our youth in jeopardy," Surjewala said on Twitter.

According to the report, the unemployment rate in 2017-18 was at its highest level since 1972-73, the period since when the jobs data is comparable.