In a sharp political exchange over the country’s unemployment crisis, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday fired three pointed questions at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the government of neglecting job creation and silently abandoning the much-hyped ₹10,000 crore Employment Linked Incentive (ELI) scheme.
Rahul Gandhi, taking to X, lashed out at the Centre for allegedly prioritising big corporates over Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which he said are the real engines of India’s economy. “After the 2024 election, PM Modi announced the 'Employment Linked Incentive' scheme with much fanfare, promising to provide employment to our youth. But nearly a year later, the government hasn't even defined the scheme and has reportedly returned the ₹10,000 crore allocated to it,” Gandhi alleged.
The Congress leader’s remarks come amidst growing concerns about joblessness across the country. He argued that the Modi government was “not serious” about addressing unemployment and instead remained committed to promoting a handful of large businesses.
In a swift rebuttal, BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya launched a counterattack, accusing Rahul Gandhi of peddling misinformation. In a detailed post on X, Malviya claimed the Congress MP’s remarks were either the result of “ignorance” or a “calculated strategy to distort reality.”
“Either Rahul Gandhi’s team has completely failed to brief him on the facts, or—far more likely—he’s weaponizing his trademark ignorance to gaslight India’s youth. This isn’t a gaffe; it's a calculated strategy to distort reality,” Malviya wrote.
Backing his defence with data, Malviya pointed out that the PM Internship Scheme for FY 2024–25 has already been implemented. “Over 1.25 lakh applicants have received internships. 327 companies have onboarded 1.18 lakh youth across districts, and 3.9 lakh applications have been received to date,” he said.
Hitting back at Rahul’s “crony capitalism” charge, Malviya invoked the UPA era, alleging it was riddled with scams, corruption, and “policy paralysis.” “India’s youth are watching. They know the difference between governance that delivers—and a dynasty that deceives,” he asserted.
While the BJP insists that the Modi government is delivering "measurable results" on the ground, Rahul Gandhi's attack signals the Opposition’s intent to corner the Centre on employment ahead of key state elections. With the ELI scheme now at the centre of the political crossfire, the coming days may see further debate over the credibility and impact of the government’s job creation claims.
