How many jobs were given under the skill India programme, Priyanka Gandhi asked (File)
Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday asked Union Minister Santosh Gangwar to provide figures for jobs provided to people in North India in the last five year.
The Congress general secretary also posted a video of the interaction in which Mr Gangwar had said that recruiters complain of paucity of "quality people" in north India.
At the Congress briefing, party leader Rajiv Shukla said the minister's remark that "youth of north India are not employable is a very big insult to them. The government and the minister concerned should clarify their position. The minister should apologise or should say that this is the policy of the government."
Clarifying his remarks, Mr Gangwar said that his statement "had a different context". "What I said had different context that there was lack of skills and the government has opened Skill Development Ministry...," the Union labour minister added.
"Mr Minister, you have said such a big thing, so please give the figures now. How many jobs have you given in the last five years and 100 days? How many jobs have you given to north Indians in the last five years? How many jobs were given under the skill India programme?" Priyanka Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.
"Do remember that figures of job losses are with the people," she added.
"Mr Minister, it has been more than five years of your government. There is no job creation. Whatever jobs were there, they have been snatched due to the economic slowdown brought by the government. You want to escape by insulting north Indians," she added.
Mr Shukla also urged the government to take note of the serious problem of economy and unemployment and address the issue seriously.
Mr Shukla said," if the country's labour minister himself is saying that the youths of north India are not employable, are incompetent and are not worthy of jobs, then the government's problem is over...This is a very serious issue."
He claimed that though the government has initiated the Skill India campaign but only 30 per cent of those enrolled have got jobs.
"The government should admit that there is a serious economic slowdown. This government is in a denial mode," he said.