Unemployment issue disrupts Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha was disrupted on Friday after the problem of unemployment was raised during zero hour.

Congress members alleged that there was an atmosphere of disappointment in the country. This prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to say that the disappointment may be in the Congress.

This led to uproar, leading to an adjournment.

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav said: "Unemployment is a big problem. The government promised two crore jobs every year. You are giving all kinds of slogans, but no one is getting a job."

CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury added his voice to Yadav's: "Every year 1.3 crore youth join the job market. Organised (sector) jobs are less than 7%; 93% jobs are casual."

Congress leader Anand Sharma said: "It is a serious issue. The situation in the country is such that the youth is disappointed. They are not getting employment. The house should discuss the issue. Employment is going down. Just talking about Start Up India and Make in India will not help."

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi responded: "There is an atmosphere of faith and development in the country... In every field employment opportunities have arisen.

"Anand Sharma says there is disappointment, if the disappointment is among friends from Congress, we cannot do anything," Naqvi said, eliciting protests from the Congress.

Congress members said naming their party and saying it was disappointed was unparliamentary. Naqvi said saying there was a state of disappointment in the country was equally unparliamentary.

Deputy Chairman P J Kurien assured both sides that unparliamentary remarks would be expunged.

Congress members, however, trooped near the Chairman's podium shouting slogans.