Indian Youth Congress observes 'National Unemployment Day', stages protest

New Delhi: The IYC on Wednesday observed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday as 'National Unemployment Day' and staged a symbolic protest alleging that joblessness in the country is at its highest level in five decades.

Congress workers set up tea and pakora stalls at its office on Raisina Road and decorated it with black balloons to highlight the plight of educated youth forced into menial jobs due to lack of employment opportunities, an official statement of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) said.

"Today, unemployment is the highest in 50 years. Because Modi is becoming PM by stealing votes, Rahul Gandhi has proven it, and we reiterate today that Modi is 'vote chor' and 'naukri chor'," IYC president Uday Bhanu Chib alleged while addressing the protest.

He further said, "This is the voice of the country's youth, and we will not sit silent until they get employment." Chib claimed that Modi had promised two crore jobs annually, which should have meant 22 crore jobs by now, but in reality, "24 crore applications have been received while unemployment is at a record high."

He also accused the government of favouring industrialists and "being concerned only about the employment of Amit Shah's son Jay Shah."

The IYC chief alleged that the Modi government has given 1,050 acres of land for "just one rupee," questioning whether this is the idea of 'new India'.

The protest was joined by Delhi Pradesh Youth Congress president Akshay Lakra, national general secretary Khushboo Sharma, national secretary Hari Krishna, Hevran Singh Kansana, and several other workers.