Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): Union Minister Santosh Gangwar stirred major controversy Sunday when he blamed the North Indian youth for failing to secure jobs as he dismissed criticism about the current employment situation in the country.
The Minister present at an event here said that there was no shortage of jobs but the companies wishing to recruit say that the youths here were ineligible.
The Minister of Independent charge for Ministry of Labour and Employment said that there was a lot of employment available. Apart from the employment offices, his Ministry has also been monitoring the situation. He said that the matter of recession was being misunderstood in the country.
Targeting former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, Gangwar said the former is scared but none will be spared.
Referring to Khan, he said he will explain to the people of Rampur the kind of person the constituency has chosen and sent to Parliament. It is a matter of misfortune for them too, he added.
The Samajwadi Party president hit back at Santosh Gangwar saying the minister was adding insult to injury and his statement on unemployment was “insensitive and cruel” towards the youth.
Congress leader Pramod Tiwari also sought an apology from the Modi government for the minister’s statement. “On one hand, people are losing jobs and on the other, new jobs are not being created. Instead of addressing the issues, the minister blames the youth of being incapable of getting jobs,” he said.
Reacting to the remark, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi slammed Santosh Kumar Gangwar.
Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said: “You have government for five years, you could not generate employment, those jobs who were left has vanished because of slow down you have brought, youth are seeking way that government will do something good that has not been done. You cannot insult North Indians and get away. This will not work.”
Gangwar made the statement while interacting with the media here Sunday, adding that his Ministry was monitoring the job situation.
He said that foreign companies who visited the country to recruit people, told him that the people were not qualified for the positions they were offering. The Minister added that were no dearth of jobs in India.