Budget 2024: Kharge attacks PM Modi on 5 economic issues on inflation, jobs
Budget 2024: In a post on social media platform 'X', Kharge pointed out economic problems related to inflation, and problems faced by youth and farmers
 "Budget 2024: Kharge attacks PM Modi on 5 economic issues on inflation, jobs")
Union Budget 2024-25: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government on five economic issues and demanded accountability in the upcoming Union Budget 2024-25.
“It's been 10 years, you used your PR to keep the government away from the basic issues of the people, but this won’t work after June 2024,” said Kharge, referring to the result of the Lok Sabha elections last month. In the polls, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party failed to secure a majority by itself, triggering a coalition government at the Centre under Modi’s third term.
In a post on social media platform ‘X’, Kharge pointed out economic problems related to inflation, and problems faced by youth and farmers.
What Kharge asked PM Modi to address in the Budget?
1) Unemployment
The Congress chief highlighted the unemployment rate of 9.2 per cent, as reported by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) for June. According to CMIE, this rate stood at an eight-month high, up from 7 per cent in May.
2) Farmers’ welfare
He further alleged that the Modi government’s promise of doubling the farmers’ income and MSP of cost plus 50 per cent has turned out to be false. He also claimed that the MSP recommendations made in the Swaminathan report is only an "election gimmick" for the BJP-led government.
3) Loss in govt jobs
Kharge alleged that since 2016, the Centre has sold small stakes in top 20 public sector undertakings (PSUs), resulting in the government job losses of 125,000 people.
He claimed that the Centre’s sale of its majority stake in sevenPSUs has resulted in a significant loss of approximately 384,000 government jobs. “This has also led to the loss of jobs in SC, ST, OBC, EWS reserved posts,” he said
4) Manufacturing sector
Kharge further said that manufacturing as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen under the BJP’s regime. He noted that the sector’s share fell from 16.5 per cent during the Congress-led government to 14.5 per cent under Modi.
He also slammed the Centre for failing to secure private investment plans. Kharge said that it fell to a 20-year low of just Rs 44,300 crores between April and June.
5) Inflation
He commented on the crushing impact of inflation, noting that the prices of essential commodities such as flour, tomatoes and pulses have skyrocketed.
He further said that inflation has shrunk household savings to a 50-year low while pushing economic inequality to pre-independence levels.