On PM Modi's Tubelight Jibe, Rahul Gandhi Says Nehru And Pakistan Are BJP's Tool Of Distraction

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi told reporters that the current government is not concerned about economic issues impacting the country and the Union Budget does not offer anything concrete.

Rahul Gandhi told reporters that the current government is not concerned about economic issues. (File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Parliament speech accusing him of invoking references to Jawaharlal Nehru, Pakistan and Bangladesh only to divert people's attention from 'real' issues. Rahul Gandhi said this while speaking to reporters after been cornered by the Prime Minister with his sharp attack in Lok Sabha. "PM Modi's style is to distract the country from core issues. He talks of Congress, of Jawaharlal Nehru, of Pakistan, etc but not of core issues," he said adding that the PM is not speaking about the youth and real issue of unemployment. "The biggest issue today is unemployment and jobs, we asked PM many times, but he did not say a word on this. Earlier, the Finance Minister gave a long speech but she also did not say a word on it," the Congress leader said. Gandhi was responding to PM Modi's criticism for the Congress party in the house over the imposing emergency in the country for 18 months between 1975 and 1977, but now their leaders supporting the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest in New Delhi's Shaheen Bagh and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Modi's style is to distract India from real issues. He said he will provide 2 crore jobs but it has been 5.5 years and nothing has happened. Last year 1 crore youth lost their jobs and Modi has not said a word on it: @RahulGandhi #GetWellSoonModi pic.twitter.com/Hc5gp5Swsd

— Congress (@INCIndia) February 6, 2020

During his speech in Lok Sabha, PM Modi had pointed out that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru also wanted to protect the minorities of Pakistan and asked if that made him a communal leader. In his counter, Rahul Gandhi told reporters that the current government is not concerned about economic issues impacting the country and the Union Budget does not offer anything concrete. Gandhi also said that the PM, in his speech, skipped real issues such as loss of jobs during his government's second term. "All youngsters of this country want that after studies -- school, college university -- they get employment. We asked the prime minister repeatedly that you have given a one and a half hour speech and if for two minutes you can tell the youth about employment and what your government has done about it," he said. ALSO WATCH | PM Modi Didn't Say A Word On Unemployment: Rahul Gandhi "Talk about the main issue prime minister ji. Tell the youth what you are doing about jobs...His style is to distract the country. He had said two crore jobs will be given to youngsters, but five and a half years have passed. Last year 1 crore youth lost jobs, he is unable to say a word," Gandhi said. Meanwhile, PM Modi while replying on the motion of thanks to the President's speech, had attacked Rahul Gandhi without taking his name. When Rahul intervened, Modi said: "For some people, the tubelight takes time" and that "he will prepare his back to get it strong as some leaders have said that in 6 months, youth will cane the Prime Minister". Rahul Gandhi while campaigning in Delhi, on Wednesday, had said the agitated youth will cane Modi within six months. "In the next six months, the youth will hit him [Modi] with sticks if he doesn’t address the issue of unemployment in the country," Gandhi said. Without taking his Rahul Gandhi's name, PM Modi today said: "I heard a Congress leader say that youth will hit Modi with sticks in 6 months. I have decided that I will increase my frequency of 'Surya Namaskar' so that my back becomes so strong that it can bear the hit of so many sticks."