JAMMU — Terming the 10 years of the BJP rule as an era marked by economic, social, and political “injustice”, Congress on Thursday alleged a threefold increase in unemployment rates and said that Rahul Gandhi will lead the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ to address these issues.
“The economic condition is at its lowest, and there’s a manifold increase in atrocities on the marginalised communities. Rahul Gandhi will lead the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ from Manipur on January 14 to raise the voice of people,” AICC spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh told reporters in Jammu.
Singh said the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ aims to focus on real issues facing the country, addressing economic, social, and political challenges, as well as threats to democracy and the Constitution.
Singh claimed an assault on economic, social, and democratic rights during the BJP regime, alleging unemployment, an increase in prices of essential commodities, and a rise in farmers’ suicide.
“The record unemployment has frustrated the youth as the number of unemployed has increased to four crore in 2022 from one crore in 2012 and the unemployment rate is the highest in 45 years,” he claimed.
He also alleged a 46.11 per cent rise in atrocities against Dalits and a 48.15 per cent increase against tribals since 2013.
The AICC spokesperson claimed a fall in the manufacturing sector and accused the BJP government of being “pro-rich”, with 13 per cent of the richest allegedly owning over 40 per cent of the country’s wealth.
“There has been a severe fall in the manufacturing sector from 2014 onwards and it reached 13 per cent at the lowest level in 2022 exposing the claims made in India as the government makes such claims after importing and assembling the parts of mobile phones from China,” he alleged.
Singh criticised the government’s foreign policy, alleging a clean chit to China and claiming no progress in resolving the illegal occupation of Indian territory.
Singh claimed that after 2014, 95 per cent of ED and CBI investigations targeted opposition leaders. He also alleged misuse of the central agencies to “topple” opposition governments and accused the Election Commission of being “toothless”.
Singh cited the suspension of 146 Opposition MPs as the latest example of assaults on democracy. — (PTI)