Cong responsible for unemployment, corruption in country: Gujarat CM

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday claimed that the opposition Congress was responsible for unemployment and corruption in the country before Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins in 2014.

The chief minister was speaking on the occasion of Rojgar Diwas, organised as part of a nine-day long celebration on the completion of his five years in office. At least 62,000 youngsters across the state were given job appointment letters during the day.

Addressing a gathering in Surat, Rupani said while there had been a ban on the government recruitments in the previous Congress governments in Gujarat before the BJP came to power in 1995.

He further claimed that more than 2 lakh people had been recruited to government jobs in the last five years alone in the state.

"The Congress was responsible for the rise in unemployment and corruption in the country, as they did not have a policy or intention to eliminate it. People used to tell former PM Jawaharlal Nehru to stop floating slogans like 'Aaram Haram Hai' if his government can't give jobs," the chief minister said.

After coming to power, Modi took concrete steps to remove poverty and provide employment, and introduced skill development initiatives, so that people become job givers and not just job seekers, he said.

"There was a ban on government recruitment during Congress rule in Gujarat. During his term as the chief minister, Modi lifted that ban. My government gave government jobs to over 2 lakh people in the last five years. Moreover, 17 lakh people were recruited to private jobs through 2,085 job fairs organised in the last five years," Rupani said.

Although experts were claiming that lakhs of people have lost their jobs in the coronavirus pandemic, Gujarat has emerged as a "ray of hope" by giving employment to youngsters, he claimed.

"As against our target of giving jobs to 50,000 youths on this occasion, we are distributing appointment letters to 62,000 youngsters across the state today. This shows that Gujarat is a land of opportunities even in the midst of a pandemic. We invite people to come here and give wings to their dreams," the chief minister said.

Since the Gujarat Congress held parallel events, claiming youngsters were still jobless in the state, Rupani said it's the Congress leaders, not the youths, who were rendered jobless after the recent local body polls in the state.

"Congress leaders are now jobless, not the youths. People have forced you to shut your shop. Unemployment was its peak in your 50-year rule," the chief minister said, slamming the Congress.