The Youth Congress has decided to observe National Unemployment Day tomorrow to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17. This may be seen as a counter to the BJP’s decision to begin its 20-day Seva Samarpan Abhiyan under which the party is set to undertake a slew of mass contact programmes and public service activities. The day also marks 20 years in public service for PM Modi.

“The rise in the unemployment rate marks the rise of the stress of millions of youth. IYC will celebrate PM’s birthday as National Unemployment Day,” said the Youth Congress, claiming that 32 lakh salaried people lost their jobs while PM’s capitalist friends get richer during the pandemic. “Enough of Pakodanomics, Youth of this country want regular employment,” said the IYC.

The Youth Congress will organise various programmes all across the country on the occasion highlighting the plight of unemployed youth. Srinivas BV, National President of Youth Congress, alleged that the youth of the country is roaming unemployed on the streets today and the Modi government is silent on the issue despite having promised 2 crore jobs per year.

“17 September i.e. National Unemployment Day. The date marks the birthday of anti-youth PM Modi’s birthday who made crores of youth unemployed,” said Srinivas.

In a statement, the IYC said that the unemployment rate in the country has increased from 2.4 per cent to 10.3 per cent in one year.

On September 12, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had taken to Twitter to criticise the Modi government over job losses. Sharing a news clip which claimed that 4000 companies may be shut in the coming days, Rahul Gandhi had said, “The ‘development’ of the BJP government is such that the difference between Sunday and Monday has ended. If there is no job then what is Sunday, is it Monday!”

In June this year, Gandhi had alleged that educated youth are being forced to pull rickshaws due to lack of jobs. “Parents of educated youth are watching their kids being compelled to pull rickshaws or work as labourers or fry pakoras on the roadside. By snatching the future, the Modi government made them self-reliant,” he had said.

Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party has continuously been targeting the Modi government over unemployment, rising fuel prices and farmers’ protest among other issues.