Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Employment Linked Incentive" scheme on Friday, accusing the government of offering empty slogans while youth remain desperate for genuine job opportunities.
New Delhi:Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Employment Linked Incentive" scheme on Friday, accusing the government of offering empty slogans while youth remain desperate for genuine job opportunities.
Gandhi questioned whether the initiative was "just another jumla," alleging that despite much fanfare following the 2024 elections, the scheme remains undefined nearly a year later and that the government has even returned the Rs 10,000 crore originally allocated to it.
Gandhi contended that real job creation cannot be achieved by catering exclusively to large corporates or favouring cronies over competitive, fair-play businesses. "The true pathway to generating crores of jobs lies in large-scale investments in MSMEs, nurturing fair markets, supporting local production networks, and equipping our youth with the right skills," he said, emphasising that the current approach is insufficient to address India's massive employment challenges.
In a related attack on the Modi government’s economic policies, AICC general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh highlighted a dramatic decline in Foreign Domestic Investment. Ramesh pointed out that net FDI inflows from April to January 2024-25 stood at under $1.4 billion — a stark contrast to USD 19 billion recorded during the same period in 2012-13 under the Congress-led UPA. He accused the Modi administration of undermining domestic and foreign investment through practices he dubbed "another type of FDI — Fear, Deceit, and Intimidation." Ramesh noted that while countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Bangladesh attracted billions in investment during President Biden’s term, India continued to lag behind, even before President Trump’s takeover in January 2025.
