Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of fabricating a “web of lies” by claiming that eight crore jobs were created in the last four years. PM Modi in an event in Mumbai on Saturday claimed that the creation of “eight crore jobs in four years” had silenced “those spreading fake narratives about unemployment.”

“Let me remind you of your statement when you announced the National Recruitment Agency (NRA) in August 2020. You said, ‘NRA would be a boon for millions of youngsters. This general eligibility exam would eliminate the need for multiple exams, saving time and resources, and enhancing transparency,'” Kharge said, quoting the Prime Minister.

Kharge then posed three questions and said, “Why has the NRA not conducted a single exam in four years? Why has it only spent Rs 58 crore of the Rs 1,517 crore fund allocated? The NRA was established for recruitment to government jobs. Has it been kept inactive deliberately to deprive youngsters from SC, ST, OBC, and EWS communities of their reservation rights?”

Referring to the controversy surrounding the leakage of question papers for multiple competitive exams, Kharge said, “The National Testing Agency (NTA) was used to manipulate exams and leak papers, while the NRA has not conducted any exams. The BJP-RSS are determined to undermine the education system and jeopardize the future of youngsters. We raised the issue of the NRA earlier, but the Modi government has chosen to remain silent.”

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Kharge’s statements come a day after the Prime Minister cited a Reserve Bank of India report indicating that India added nearly 4.7 crore jobs during 2023-24. At an event in Mumbai, where he inaugurated infrastructure projects worth Rs 29,000 crore, the Prime Minister criticisd the Opposition for highlighting the unemployment issue during their campaign for the recent general election.

“This data has silenced those spreading false narratives about jobs. Those who propagate these fake narratives are enemies of investment, infrastructure development, and the country’s growth. Their policies are about betraying youth and stalling employment. Now they are being exposed as people reject their lies,” the Prime Minister said.