'Andolan Jeevis', COVID-19 reason for unemployment in Assam, claims BJP

GUWAHATI: With the Assam Congress's launching a '5 guarantees campaign' on March 3 ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, the state's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit in retaliation termed it as a "gimmick" and blamed 'Andolan jeevis' and the ongoing pandemic for the unemployment malaise.

 

Addressing the press here earlier today, BJP spokesperson Pabitra Margherita and convener-economic cell Devajit Mahanta launched a scathing attack on the Grand Old Party.

 

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Congress, while launching its 'Congressor 5 guarantee' campaign, slammed the BJP for not fulfilling its promise of appointing 25 lakh youths in their 5-year regime as they had promised.

 

"BJP could only appoint 80,000 youths in last 5 years; everyone was not offered with a government job," said Ripun Bora, President of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee.

 

Asked by Inside NE about the same, Devajit Mahanta said, "First of all due to Corona, not only India but every other country in the world had seen turmoil. Secondly, in construction sectors, around 6 lakh get employed -- but government data does not take that into account."

 

"Also in Assam, few years back, a huge challenge was to creating an environment for jobs, as in here people protest just to oppose protests, just to go against the government. You can call them 'Andolan Jeevis' or even parasites," he said.

 

Congress promised to introduce an employment generation department as one of their 5 guarantees if they come to power.

 

Although BJP held the press meet in retaliation towards Congress's allegation towards them, they did not actually address any of the pertinent issues raised; instead, their representatives took potshots at the Congress and highlighted their failures, while skipping past their own.