Unemployment, farmer distress main challenges before India, Gujarat: Rahul Gandhi

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said unemployment and farmer distress are two important challenges before India and Gujarat.

Rahul, who reached here on a three-day election campaign, launched scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at Centre.

Addressing a road show after offering prayers at Dwarkadhish Temple, Rahul said that first pr0blem is that the youth of country are not getting jobs.

"The Prime Minister had said that he would provide jobs to two crore youth every year. We asked the concerned minister in the Parliament that how many jobs did you provide to youths this year. The reply was: the BJP led Centre could only provide one lakh jobs to the youth in one year," said Rahul.

He further added that "every day 30000 youth search for job and the government provides jobs to only 400 youths. The youth of this country wants to contribute in the development of the nation but the BJP led NDA government doesn't provide them jobs".

He also talked about farmers and said wherever you go you'll find the farmers are in distress.

When he asked do the farmers in Saurashtra get better price for their peanut crop then there was a loud reply from crowd: 'No".

"If you go to any district in India and ask the farmers whether they get right price of their yield, you'll get answer 'No'," Rahul said.

The Gandhi scion further trained his guns at demonetisation.

"Don't know what happened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year that he imposed demonetisation, which worsened the lives of farmers and labourers who deal in cash," the Congress vice president said.

"PM Modi imposed demonetisation without consulting anyone. He didn't stop at it only and brought the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which again is against the small traders and shopkeepers. Today, they are required to fill up three forms every month."

He also alleged that there are big corporate companies which are being benefitted by the Narendra Modi led government's demonetisation and GST.

"This government doesn't have empathy for poor. If Congress party's government comes to power in Gujarat then it would be the government of poor, farmers and youth," Rahul said.

Rahul has kick started his three-day campaign in Saurashtra.

After the road show, Rahul will proceed for Jamnagar town where he will make a night halt. On September 26, he will cover towns such as Dhrol and Tankara by road before reaching Rajkot.

He will interact with traders and industrialists after reaching Rajkot in the afternoon.

After covering Saurashtra, Gandhi will campaign in north, central and south Gujarat at later dates as part of the party's poll campaign ahead of the assembly elections slated to be held later this year.

The much awaited assembly elections in Gujarat will be held towards the end of 2017 or January, 2018. The dates will be announced officially by the Election Commission few months prior to it.