'Chowkidar' is responsible for 'stealing' jobs: Congress

In a sharp attack at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of jobs, the Congress on Wednesday alleged that the country's "chowkidar" is responsible for "stealing" jobs with 4.7 crore youth losing employment.

The party's attack on the government came over a media report which claimed that the actual size of India's male workforce, or men who are working, has shrunk for the first time since 1993-94.

"Modi ji has eaten up 4.7 crore jobs of the youth. Due to the BJP's 'pan-pakoda' policy, 4.7 crore youth had to wash their hands of their jobs," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

"Promise was to give 10 crore jobs, but 4.7 crore jobs have been taken away. The country's chowkidar is responsible for stealing jobs," he said with the hashtag "Chowkidar Chor Hai".

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal also slammed the government over the unemployment issue.

He alleged that about two crore jobs were lost since Modi came to power, citing National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data.

Sibal said the national male workforce had shrunk from 30.4 crore in 2011-12 to 28.6 crore in 2017-18.

In all, since 2011-12, India's national workforce shrunk by 4.7 crore more than the population of Saudi Arabia, the media report said.