Modi won't be forgiven for unemployment: Chidambaram

No unemployed youth and no first-time voter will forgive the Modi government for leaving the country with 7.2% unemployment, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Wednesday.

He was responding to a private economic think tank's revelation that unemployment rate in February was at 29-month high.

“It is time to drag the government to the real world of jobs and the plight of youth. It is a man-made catastrophe of the BJP government,” he said in a series of tweets immediately after the think tank put out data.

The unemployment data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy comes at a time when Parliament elections are round the corner and the government, blamed for jobless economic growth, is trying to gain points by showcasing its achievements.

Highest in decades

“No parent, no unemployed youth, no first-time voter and no student will forgive the BJP government for leaving the country with a 7.2% unemployment rate – the highest in several decades,” he said.

CMIE unemployment data is based on survey of tens of thousands of households across the country.

The government is yet to bring out unemployment data as promised last year. However, the official figures leaked to a media house last month showed unemployment was at 45-year high in 2017-18.

The government had told Parliament last month that it did not have data on the impact of demonetisation on jobs in small businesses.