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"Modiji’s Special": Rahul Gandhi’s Take On Privatisation, Unemployment

On Saturday Mr Gandhi tweeted about a reported freeze on recruitment by the centre, citing a newspaper article - later dismissed by the government - referencing a list of austerity measures

New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi continued his relentless attack on the Narendra Modi government Monday evening with a tweet criticising "unnecessary privatisation... (that) is destroying employment" for the youth of the nation.

Mr Gandhi, who has stepped up his criticism after data last week showed that India’s GDP has contracted by a record 23.9 per cent between April and June, reiterated his belief that unemployment levels were linked to the Modi government’s drive to privatise PSUs (public sector units).

"Today the country is facing many disasters, like the Modi government, one of which is unnecessary privatisation. The youth want jobs but the Modi government is destroying employment and deposit(ing) capital by privatising PSUs... (to) whose benefit?" Mr Gandhi tweeted.

"(for the) development of just a few ’friends’... which is Modiji’s special... Stop Privatisation, Save Government Jobs," he added.

On Saturday Mr Gandhi tweeted about a reported freeze on recruitment by the central government; he cited a newspaper article referencing a list of austerity measures adopted amid the pandemic.

"The Modi government’s thinking is minimum government, maximum privatisation. Covid is just an excuse...," he tweeted, alleging that the "plan is to free government offices of all permanent staff, steal the youth’s future and propel his (PM Modi’s) own friends forward".

The centre subsequently clarified its position; the Ministry of Finance tweeted that the government circular referred to in the report dealt with internal procedure and would not affect or curtail recruitment.

Mr Gandhi has previously also attacked the government over employment levels and privatisation.

Last week he hit out over reports of 12 crore people being unemployed amid the lockdown and early last month he said the government had failed to live up to its promise of jobs for two crore people every year.

In July he criticised the government over first steps in the privatisation of Indian Railways, which employs around 12 lakh people.

Mr Gandhi has also released videos claiming that demonetisation, the Covid lockdown and the contentious GST are among the primary reasons for the condition of the Indian economy.

Yesterday he tweeted a video in which he sought to link the record 23.9 per cent contraction in GDP to the GST regime, which he referred to as the "Gabbar Singh Tax".

In an earlier video Mr Gandhi linked the GDP shock to demonetisation and tweeted: "PM Modi’s cashless India is in reality a mazdoor-kisan-chhota vyapari mukt Bharat (India free of farmers, labourers, small traders)".

After the release of GDP figures Mr Gandhi tore into the government, accusing it of repeatedly ignoring warnings from experts on the extent of the economic crisis.