NEW DELHI: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday hit out at Congress party, saying that it has got back to its classic “shoot and scoot brand” of social media policy drawn from “lies, fabricated figures and fake data”. The minister said that the Narendra Modi-led government has fostered growth for the country on multiple fronts, while senior leaders of the Congress party don’t pay attention to facts before expressing their “misguided opinions” publicly.
The minister’s remark adds to the war of words that has erupted between his party and Congress over “unfulfilled” poll promises. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday claimed that “Modi ki guarantee” was a cruel joke on the people, while PM Modi latched on to the latter’s advice to his state workers that they should be guided by “fiscal viability” and an unplanned approach could lead to financial difficulties.
“Congress Party’s classic shoot and scoot brand of social media policy based on lies, fabricated figures and fake data is back in action. Even their senior most leaders do not check facts before going public with their delusional opinions,” the Union minister posted on X along with a graphic video.
“Under leadership of PM @narendramodiJi, India has witnessed significant employment growth over the years. Employment has increased by nearly 36%, adding around 170 million jobs between 2016-17 and 2022-23.”
“Let me also remind them that India’s economic trajectory demonstrates sustained job creation across key sectors. We are on our way to becoming the world’s 3rd largest economy very soon from the 11th spot their famed economists and policies left us in 2014,” he added.
The oil minister said that the creation of both direct and indirect job opportunities for India’s youth has contributed to an average GDP growth of more than 6.5 percent during this time. Puri claimed there are positive changes in employment, saying that the unemployment rate dropped to 3.2 percent in 2022-23.
“According to PLFS, youth (age 15-29 years) unemployment rate has declined from 17.8 percent in 2017-18 to 10 percent in 2022-23. EPFO has reached 131.5 lakh in 2024 while Gig Economy workforce is expected to grow to 2.35 crore by 2029-30,” he wrote.
The minister also said that agriculture sector remains dominant, employing over 45% of the workforce, which he claimed was a gradual shift toward manufacturing and services.
Hitting out at Congress president Kharge over his allegations that the Central government had failed to fulfill their poll promises, the oil minister remarked that while Kharge perceives ‘stampedes,’ he is unable to see that the Worker Population Ratio has risen by nearly 26 percent from 2017 to 2023
“He is clearly looking at all the wrong places and getting fake data, or maybe is just too preoccupied with trying to hold his imploding party together and buys whatever lies his advisors sell to him; or he is just too fixated with the ‘unemployment’ of his party’s travelling Shehzada,” he said.
The tussle broke out when PM Modi, in a recent series of tweets, accused Congress of making empty promises during election campaigns. PM Modi on Friday said, “The Congress Party is realizing the hard way that making unreal promises is easy, but implementing them properly is tough or impossible. Campaign after campaign, they promise things to the people, which they also know they will never be able to deliver.”
PM Modi highlighted problems in Congress-ruled states, stating that the “developmental trajectory and fiscal health are deteriorating” in Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana. He claimed that Congress’s unfulfilled promises were deceiving the poor, youth, farmers, and women, and that existing welfare schemes were being overlooked. Modi urged the public to remain alert against what he referred to as the “Congress-sponsored culture of fake promises,” citing the recent election results in Haryana as proof of the people’s rejection of Congress.
Reacting to the PM’s charge, Kharge said that lies, deceit, fraud, loot and publicity are the five adjectives that best define the BJP government at the Centre.
“Lies, Deceit, Fakery, Loot & Publicity are the 5 adjectives which best describe your Govt! Your drumbeating regarding a 100-day plan was a cheap PR stunt! On May 16, 2024, you also claimed that you took inputs from more than 20 lakh people for the road map for 2047. RTI filed in PMO declined to put forth details, exposing your LIES!” Kharge said.