RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday put some tough questions before Narendra Modi on employment and industrial development, iterating that the Prime Minister always sidesteps from engaging in discussions on issues of the people.
“The people of Bihar are asking the Centre and the ‘double-engine government’ (referring to the oft-used turn of phrase about the same political party in Delhi and the state) about how many jobs were provided in the railways in the last 10 years. How many were recruited in the army in 10 years? How many factories were set up in Bihar in 10 years?” Tejashwi asked.
Speaking at a public rally at Sono in the Jamui Lok Sabha constituency, Tejashwi also asked what happened to the BJP’s promise to provide two crore jobs every year and sought an account of “the 20 crore jobs” that “must have been given” in the last 10 years when Modi has been at the helm. He also questioned why posts under reserved categories were still vacant in the government.
Tejashwi is on a whirlwind election campaign, addressing up to five rallies in different Lok Sabha constituencies across Bihar. He held public meetings in Aurangabad, Gaya, Jamui and Munger on Thursday. The first three seats will vote on April 19, while Munger will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 13.
“Have you ever heard Modiji talk about unemployment, farmers, inflation, poverty, special category status for Bihar and so many other things? He never talks about these issues. Instead of counting the achievements of his 10-year rule, he keeps blaming the Opposition for everything,” Tejashwi said in Aurangabad.
The RJD leader also dared the Prime Minister to tell why in the last 46 years unemployment, poverty and inflation had seen a rapid spike only during his term.
“Narendra Modi falsely keeps saying that he is providing food grains to people, but this has been continuing since the time of the Congress government. Modi talks about ending poverty but why is he distributing food grains to 80 crore people if poverty has been eradicated?” Tejashwi asked.