Forget Josh, Where Are the Jobs: Opposition Over Unemployment Data

Calling Modi a tyrannical leader, Rahul Gandhi said, the leaked job creation data revealed a national disaster.

India’s unemployment rate was at a 45-year high of 6.1 percent during 2017-18, according to the National Sample Survey Office.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

Video producer: Anubhav Mishra
Video editor: Vishal Sharma

India’s unemployment rate was at a 45-year high of 6.1 percent during 2017-18, according to the National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) periodic labour force survey (PLFS), which has been accessed by Business Standard.

This is the report which had been held back by the government and is at the centre of the controversy after two National Statistical Commission (NSC) members, including the acting chairman, resigned on Monday, 28 January.

Responding to the report, the government on Thursday, 31 January, defended itself for not disclosing the data and said the decision lies solely with them.

The report, revealed a day before the interim budget has stirred a political storm, with the opposition leaders slamming the government.

‘NoMo Jobs’: Rahul Gandhi

Calling Modi a tyrannical leader, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said, the leaked job creation data revealed a national disaster.

‘This Govt Killed NSC’: P Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has accused the government of eliminating country’s National Statistical Commission (NSC).

“What little credibility there was, is completely lost now. The data is not appraised or examined by the National Statistical Commission. So instead of publishing the data, they first killed the NSC so whatever they publish now has no credibility,” the former finance minister told reporters today.

He also backed the claim that the unemployment rate is high by stating that no jobs have been created.

‘Result of Pakordanomics’: Kapil Sibal

Congress leader Kapil Sibal mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ‘torturing’ the jobs data and called it a result of his ‘Pakordanomics.’

‘How’s the Josh?’ Nahin, How’re the Jobs?: Asaduddin Owaisi

In a reference to the film Uri, AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi’s took a dig at the government. He said, “How’s the josh? nahin, how’re the jobs?”

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Leader Omar Abdullah echoed the concern for jobs and said parties opposed to the BJP keeps ‘hammering’ the question on where are the jobs. The senior leader from Kashmir tweeted on Thursday.

‘Modi Is Scared of the Truth’: Sitaram Yechury

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury joined the Opposition bandwagon in condemning the government. Slamming Modi, he said, the government's claim of creating unprecedented jobs is a farce and that India has never suffered as much under Modi’s rule.

‘This Would’ve Sparked Protests Anywhere’: Yogendra Yadav

National President of Swaraj India Yogendra Yadav, slamming the government said, the data would have sparked street protests in any part of the world.