Rahul takes 'jumla' jibe at employment scheme, BJP says he is 'weaponising' ignorance

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the government of not even defining the Employment Linked Incentive scheme announced a year back by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked if it was just another jumla, as the BJP retorted that the Congress leader was weaponising ignorance.

Addressing Modi, Gandhi said on X that while he creates new slogans every day, the youth are still waiting for real opportunities.

He said, "What is your concrete plan to generate the crores of jobs India desperately needs, or is this just another jumla?"

Hitting back, BJP's Amit Malviya said either Gandhi's team has completely failed to brief him on the facts or, far more likely, he is "weaponising his trademark ignorance to gaslight India's youth".

The ruling party's IT department head said, "This isn't a gaffe; it's a calculated strategy to distort reality, using his platform to spread misinformation under the guise of cluelessness." The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said that after the 2024 election, PM Modi announced the "Employment Linked Incentive" scheme with much fanfare, promising to provide employment to our youth.

"It's been nearly a year since announcing the scheme, the government hasn't even defined it, and has returned the Rs 10,000 crores allotted to it. This shows how serious the PM is about unemployment," he alleged without elaborating the claim.

Malviya claimed that only 2.9 crore jobs were created during 2004-14 under the Congress-led UPA government, while the corresponding figure for the Modi government during 2014-24 was 17.19 crore.

He added, "In just the last year alone (2023-“24), 4.6 crore jobs were created - ”more than the entire decade of Congress rule." In his criticism of the government's employment policy, Gandhi said jobs can't be created by focusing only on large corporates, promoting cronies over fair-play businesses, prioritising assembly over production, and disregarding India's indigenous skills.

"The way to create crores of jobs is through large-scale investment in MSMEs, fair markets where competition can thrive, support for local production networks and youth equipped with the right skills," he said.

"The PM won't agree with these ideas. But I must ask him directly: Prime Minister ji, you announced ELI with great showmanship - but where has this Rs 10,000 crore scheme disappeared? Have you abandoned our unemployed youth along with your promises?" "

While you create new slogans every day, our youth are still waiting for real opportunities. What is your concrete plan to generate the crores of jobs India desperately needs, or is this just another jumla?" he said.

Gandhi further asked when will the PM shift his focus from enriching Adani and his "billionaire friends" to ensuring that young people from marginalised communities have equal access to employment.

Malviya said the Modi government has delivered on-ground programmes and measurable results while the Congress' legacy remains of empty slogans and broken promises.

"The very 'jumlas' you accuse others of," he told Gandhi.

He added, "Rather than misleading the youth, maybe take a moment to reflect on why your own government failed to offer them a future. And for someone so concerned about cronyism, perhaps you've forgotten Congress' own track record - scams, corruption, and policy paralysis." Taking a swipe, the BJP leader said the India's youth know the difference between governance that delivers and a dynasty that deceives.

To Gandhi's criticism of the Employment Linked Scheme, he said the PM Internship Scheme for FY 2024-25 has already rolled out. It offers 1.25 lakh internships, monthly stipend, insurance, and travel support with 327 companies offering over 1.18 lakh internships across all districts.

Over 3.9 lakh youth applications received so far, he added.

Malviya said the Modi government has delivered a much higher rate of employment in all sectors, be it manufacturing, services or agriculture.

He said, "You talk about youth unemployment, yet under your government, youth employability stood at just 34 per cent in 2013. Today, that figure has risen to nearly 55 per cent in 2024. Youth unemployment? Down from 17.8 per cent in 2017-“18 to 10.2 per cent today."