Finance Minister silent on unemployment in interim budget speech, alleges Congress

In a charged response to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Interim Budget speech, former Union Minister and Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram accused the government of deliberately neglecting the issue of unemployment, especially among the youth.

He said that over the last three days, the government has been reiterating its claims of India's economic surge in the past 5-10 years. P. Chidambaram dismissed these assertions as repetitive, with every statistic being challenged by economists and domain experts.

During the Congress party briefing at the AICC HQ, P. Chidambaram stated, "The Finance Minister spoke about youths but avoided the crucial issue of unemployment." He highlighted alarming statistics from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) and the State of Working India reports. The unemployment rates among youths aged 15-29 stand at 10%, 8.3% in rural areas, and a concerning 13.8% in urban areas. For graduates under 25, the unemployment rate is a staggering 42.3%, remaining at 9.8% for those aged 30-34.

Expressing concern, Chidambaram asserted, "By deliberate neglect over the last 10 years, the government is destroying the demographic dividend story and dashing the hopes of millions of youths and their families."

On Congress MP DK Suresh's statement regarding a separate country, Chidambaram clarified, "It is not the policy of the Congress Party to ask for a separate country."

Adding to the criticism, Congress MP from Bengaluru DK Suresh labeled the budget as an "election budget," accusing the government of merely changing scheme names without addressing core issues. Suresh expressed dissatisfaction with the distribution of GST and direct taxes, hinting at potential demands for a separate nation if the perceived injustice continues.

Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi joined the criticism, declaring the budget to be skewed towards the rich. He voiced concern for farmers, stating that despite promises to double their income, suicides continue unabated. Gogoi highlighted that around 10-12 thousand farmers took their lives in 2020, 2021, and 2022 stating the government's neglect of their demands.