Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday attacked the government over people reportedly queuing up in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for jobs in Israel, saying it was a reflection of the "grim unemployment situation" in the country and makes a "mockery" of the claims of a booming economy.
In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked why "thousands of Indians made a beeline seeking jobs in Israel, willing to risk their lives during a war".
"In the past 5 years, under Modi Government, the growth rate of real rural wages has become negative for both agriculture (-0.6 per cent) and non-agriculture (-1.4 per cent), which means there is widespread rural distress," he claimed.
Daily wages in rural India for men in 2022-23 was Rs 212, which is lower than Rs 220 in 2014 while the demand for work under 'MGNREGA' is escalating by the day, he said.
The Narendra Modi government had slashed its funds in the Budget 2023-24, but was forced to allocate Rs 28,000 crore more due to high rural joblessness, Kharge claimed.
"Formal job creation has fallen to a 30-month low, which means there are no jobs for our educated youth. The actual disbursement of funds to Panchayats has been 10.4 per cent less than what was promised in the 14th Finance Commission (2015-2020) and this trend continues," he said.
The Congress chief said sales of fast-moving consumer goods did not see any increase in 2023, again indicating why household savings are at a 50-year low.
He claimed that the growth in private consumption expenditure, which is a catalyst for creating jobs, is at a 21-year low.
"Between 2018-19 and 2022-23, individual tax collection from the public has increased by 50.55 per cent, but corporate tax collection has increased only by 2.72 per cent. This shows ever-widening economic inequalities," he said.
The prices of vegetables have increased by 60 per cent in the last year, heavily burdening the people, Kharge said.
"The final budget of Modi Govt is due in a few days...Will an arrogant Modi Government drunk with power, ever atone for the miseries that they have inflicted on the People of India?" the Congress chief said.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said thousands of young men are queuing up in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, especially for jobs in war-torn Israel as replacements for Palestinian workers.
In a post on X, Ramesh said, "Let us leave aside the ethical, moral, and political issues that have gained significance in light of the interim judgment of the International Court of Justice yesterday.
"Does this not reflect the grim unemployment situation in our own country and does it not make a mockery of claims of a booming job-creating economy?" he said.
The top UN court on Friday stopped short of ordering a ceasefire in Gaza but demanded that Israel try to contain death and damage in its military offensive.
South Africa, which brought the case, had asked for the court to order Israel to halt its military operations against Hamas militants.
The court decided not to throw out genocide charges against Israel for its military offensive in Gaza, as part of a preliminary decision in the case.
The Congress has been attacking the government over its handling of the economy and raising concerns over "increasing" unemployment and price rise.