Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi Monday said successive governments in India have failed to provide an answer to India’s unemployment crisis as he rolled out a roadmap for India during his reply to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha.
“In 2014 the manufacturing sector accounted for 15.3 per cent of the GDP. It has fallen to 12.6 per cent today. That is the lowest share of GDP in 60 years. I am not blaming PM. Not fair to say he did not try. He tried but he failed,” said Rahul referring to Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative. “A universal problem we have faced we have not been able to tackle the problem of unemployment. Neither the UPA governments nor NDA has given an answer to this. Make in India was a good idea. We saw the statues, the events, so called investment the result is right in front of us.”
In his reply to the presidential address, Rahul said he would not give a laundry-list, which he said President Draupadi Murmu’s speech made on Friday was, rather explain what a President heading an INDIA government would have told the nation in the presidential address.
“India has neither production data nor consumption data,” Rahul said, underlying that both production and consumption were integral to a country’s economic growth. “We have handed our consumption data to American companies like Google, Facebook, X… The consumption data is owned by China.”
“Governments since 1990 have done well on consumption that is services. Companies like Uber, Adani organises consumption. We have failed to organise the manufacturing sector. There are companied like Mahindra, Bajaj, Tatas to a certain extent. We have handed it (production) over to China,” he said.
Raising his cellphone, Rahul said each component of the phone had come from China and was assembled in India.
“We have to start building a production network. China has a ten year lead in production of batteries, motor, optics for ten years. We would identify the critical areas in each of these sectors and go for capacity building measures,” Rahul said.
Rahul said with focus only on consumption India would run into huge fiscal deficit and inequality.
“There is mobility revolution going on right now. We are moving from internal combustible engines to electric motor, from petrol to batteries, wind, solar and nuclear power. This is going to change the world as we know it,” he said.
The leader of Opposition in India's lower House said, the ongoing battle in Ukraine was a battle between technologies of the past and the present.
“The war going on in Ukraine is between ICE and electric motor, between tank and drones and the tanks are dying by thousands. The drones are destroying the tank artillery…”
Rahul said had India not ceded the space in production and consumption to the Chinese and American companies, its position would not have weakened.
“We will not send the foreign minister to get an invite for the prime minister to get an invite to the US president’s inauguration. When we have the production power, the US president will come to us,” Rahul said. “The prime minister denied but the army contradicts him about 4,000 sq km of our land being under Chinese occupation now. The prime minister denies, but the army keeps talking to the Chinese. This is a fact. Wars are not fought between armies. Wars are fought between industrial systems. China has a far stronger and bigger industrial system that is why they have the guts to come inside the country. India is refusing to produce and I am afraid we will give up the spot to China and keep buying their optics, motors and batteries.”
Both the statements drew loud protests from the treasury benches in Modi’s presence.
Rahul said, India has a strategic partner in the US and the partnership should focus on how the two countries can work together. “That is what the conversation should be on. US cannot build an industrial system without us,” he said.
"Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi deliberately spoke a falsehood about my visit to the US in December 2024. I went to meet the Secretary of State and NSA of the Biden Administration. Also to chair a gathering of our Consuls General. During my stay, the incoming NSA-designate met with me," S Jaishankar posted on X.
"At no stage was an invitation in respect of the PM discussed. It is common knowledge that our PM does not attend such events. In fact, India is generally represented by Special Envoys," said the Minister.
Rahul’s statement came at a time when President Donald Trump has slapped sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China which could severely impact the global trading system and the existing world economic order.
Rahul also batted for participation of the socially and economically marginalised sections of the society – he made a reference to the caste census conducted by the Congress-run Telangana government- in building the new age India.
“Combining the data from the caste census with AI we can work wonders and challenge China,” he said.
