Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized both the UPA and NDA governments for failing to address India's unemployment issue effectively. "India has failed as a manufacturing-based economy and allowed China to dominate the sector," he said. He opined that now the government should focus on manufacturing to make the economy strong. He agreed that the 'Make in India' initiative is a good concept, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi could not implement it.
Addressing the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, Rahul Gandhi said that all the fundamental headlines which the country requires in the speech remains unchanged year after year.
Demand for Jobs Reforms and Industrialization
Rahul Gandhi said that India's future lies with its youths; all discussions should only be based on their prospects. He said that the unemployment issue remains unsolved even though the country is currently developed economically. He condemned the NDA regime as well as former UPA government for not providing a constructive answer to job creation.
He said the 'Make in India' program has huge potential but hasn't been put to practice so far. He felt that the inability of the Indian manufacturing sector has given a stranglehold of the market to China. In a strong words, he warned the government that it was at the high cost of increasing social tensions, unless it went the whole hog in manufacturing growth. He further felt that the software revolution may transform the economy of India.
India's Foreign Policy Approach Criticism
Rahul Gandhi also reacted to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's meetings in the United States. He accused Jaishankar of going to the United States last year solely with the motive to bring PM Modi to the swearing-in ceremony of former US President Donald Trump. He said that had India been at the forefront in manufacturing and artificial intelligence, leaders like the US President would be visiting India to formally invite them instead.
The union minister, Kiren Rijiju, outrightly rejected the statements as baseless. According to him, such diplomatic engagement is a normal affair between two countries.
