Modi govt dealing with RCEP is like compounder operating on a patient: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government dealing with Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) is like a "compounder operating on a patient" in absence of a registered Doctor.

Mocking Centre, Azad said that both RCEP and GST were the schemes coined by the Congress and were in progress but the Modi government implemented it badly in haste.

"The Free Trade Agreement and RCEP, we were not against it, in fact, it started in our time. The doctor had given the dates to the patient for operation and meanwhile, the doctor got transferred and compounder operated on patient," said Ghulam Nabi Azad.

"The interest of our country should have been protected. Our Milk products, agricultural products, marine products etc should all have been protected. We have a trade deficit of US Dollar 70 Billion with China. China is dumping its products in world markets after RCEP several products of China would be dumped in Indian markets. Will China allow access to our products in its markets? There is no discussion on this issue," said Azad.

Leaders of thirteen Opposition parties met here on Monday to discuss the current economic situation.

Azad Further said that unemployment is highest in the last 50 years.

"The National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) data shows that unemployment is an all-time high. Unemployment is highest in the last 50 years and it is increasing every month. The unemployment in India is double that of the world average," said Azad.

"The GDP is falling day by day. There was a time when we were at the fifth position in terms of increasing economic growth but now we are at 7 and the rate is further falling day by day," he said.

"The number of educated unemployed youth is increasing. After demonetization unemployed youth and uneducated youth were forced to sit at their homes," he said.