High unemployment, low GDP growth: Mallikarjun Kharge hits back at PM Modi, raises 9 questions on X

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks during a debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress on Wednesday said there is "arrogance and hatred" in his speeches and alleged that his guarantee "is only to spread lies."

Hitting back at the prime minister, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said those who do not believe in the Constitution are preaching patriotism to the Congress party.

"They (BJP) believe that independence was achieved in 2014. They do not know that we got independence in 1947 and the Congress struggled for it. They do not want to recognise it. The prime minister said countless lies.... He is not in the habit of speaking the truth and does not have much contribution," news agency PTI quoted the Congress president as saying.

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Reacting to the remarks made by the prime minister regarding the Congress-led UPA government, Kharge wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), "Those who did not believe in the Constitution, who did not participate in the 'Dandi March' and the 'Quit India Movement' have the audacity to today preach patriotism to the Congress party! Modiji said countless false things about the UPA government." 

"Modiji, in your speeches in both the Houses, you only cursed Congress. Despite being in power for 10 years, instead of talking about himself, he only criticises the Congress party. Even today he did not talk about price rise, unemployment and economic inequality," Kharge said.

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Seeking answers to 9 questions he posted on X, the Congress chief said ‘Spreading lies is Modi's guarantee!’ 

The prime minister said countless false things about the UPA government. I want to ask: 

• The unemployment rate during UPA was 2.2%, why is it the highest in 45 years during yours?
• During the 10 years of UPA, the average GDP growth rate was 8.13%, why only 5.6% during yours? According to the World Bank, in 2011 itself, India became the third largest economy in the world. We brought 14 crore people out of (not-just- multidimensional) poverty in 10 years. By truncating speeches here and there, you are spreading confusion and lies.
• The progress that India has made in Digital India, its foundation was laid by UPA under Aadhaar-DBT-Bank Account. We had given 65 crore Aadhaar till 2014. Subsidy work had started from DBT-PAHAL. Under Swabhiman Yojana, we had also opened 33 crore bank accounts of the poor.
• Modi ji said something about PSUs. Let us remind that your “Sell and Loot” policy has led to full/half/or partial privatization of 147 PSUs by April 2022.
• There are 30 lakh posts lying vacant in the government, and SC, ST, OBC posts are the most vacant in them. Nearly 3 lakh posts are vacant in 5 ministries alone – Railways, Steel, Civil Aviation, Defense (without troops) and Petroleum.
• You talked about Eklavya schools, but did not tell that 70% of the teachers in them are on contract only.
• It is heartbreaking that the gap between our exports and imports has increased three times in the last 10 years and despite knowing this fact, the government does not accept it as a problem and does not improve. Modi ji, in your speeches in both the Houses you only cursed Congress.
• Despite being in power for 10 years, instead of talking about himself, he only criticizes Congress. Even today he did not talk about inflation, employment, or economic equality.
• Actually the government does not have any data. NDA itself means No Data Available Government - Census has not been conducted, there is no economic survey, there is no employment data, there is no health survey. The government hides all the statistics and spreads lies.