The Congress on Saturday described the Rozgar Mela by the Narendra Modi government as "event baazi by the jumla king" and asked when would the Prime Minister honour his promise of 16 crore jobs.
In a series of tweets, party general secretary Randeep Surjewala targeted the Modi government over the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for rabi crops and said it was even lesser than inflation.
"At least, the 'jumla king' was forced to admit that unemployment is the biggest problem the country and the youth face," he said in a tweet and asserted that it is the biggest achievement of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
"No Eventbaazi, provide employment," he added.
"By when would these 16 crore jobs be provided and by when would 30 lakh vacancies in government departments be filled up. The Prime Minister would have to answer the youth of the country," Mr. Surjewala said in a video posted on Twitter.
In a separate set of tweets, he accused the Narendra Modi government of "duping the farmers" and claimed that their hard labour was lost in the lights of Diwali.
"The Modi government has once again cheated the farmers on the MSPs. The MSP of Annadata farmers' hard work got lost again in the lights of Diwali. The Modi government patted its back by announcing the MSP of rabi crops, but duped the farmers and left them to shed tears of blood," Mr. Surjewala said.
He said the bitter truth is that the Modi government only announces MSP but does not buy crops on the MSP. He said a law granting legal status to MSP was urgently required.
“BJP’s ‘Shakuni Chausar’ has made farmers’ lives difficult. No Cost+50%, neither fair price nor enough buying. Neither is the law on MSP being made. Modi ji promised in 2014 that he will give cost plus 50% to farmers. It is far away, the declared MSP is less than the MSP demanded by the BJP governments themselves,” he claimed.
The Rajya Sabha MP said leaders can offer rhetoric but statistics don't lie and claimed the Congress-UPA government increased the MSP by 205% while the increase in the last eight years of the Modi government is only 40%.
"The MSP declared by the Modi government is even less than the inflation rate of the country. Inflation increased more and the MSP was less. Countrymen, please think and speak about the 70 crore farmers and farm labourers of the country for two minutes on Diwali. Think about the toiling farmer-labourer, because of whom you eat even if he destroys himself. Happy Diwali everyone. Jai Jawan," he said.
Earlier this week, the MSP of six rabi crops were increased by up to 9%, with a ₹110 per quintal increase for wheat crop to boost domestic production and farmers' income.
Wheat MSP has been raised by 5.45% to ₹2,125 per quintal from ₹2,015 per quintal to encourage more area under the crop amid tight government stock position owing to low procurement, fall in production and higher exports.
