Kharge slams govt over price rise, unemployment
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday hit out at the Modi government over rising prices and unemployment, saying that people will not buy into the "hollow slogans" of the BJP and will wipe it out of power this time.
His attack came a day after the Congress slammed the Centre over rising prices of vegetables and other essential food items and demanded immediate steps from his government to address the issue.
"Both inflation and unemployment are increasing continuously due to the loot of the Modi government. But the BJP is engrossed in the greed for power," Kharge alleged in a tweet in Hindi.
The prices of vegetables are skyrocketing and the unemployment rate in the country has gone up to 8.45 per cent, he said.
The unemployment rate in villages is 8.73 per cent and the demand for MGNREGA in villages is at its peak, but there is no work, Kharge said.
The rural wage rate has come down, he added.
"Narendra Modi ji, the people of the country know that before elections, you are working on slogans like 'achche din', 'amrit kaal', so that your failures can be glossed over with the help of advertisements. But this time it will not happen, the public is aware and will answer to your hollow slogans by voting against the BJP," the Congress chief said.
"Leave alone forgiving, the public will wipe the BJP out of power," Kharge asserted.
On Tuesday, the women's wing of the party had also held a protest outside the BJP office here, demanding relief for people from rising inflation of essential food items.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told a press conference, where the party had kept a basket of tomatoes, garlic, ginger and green chillies, that this could be a good gift option given that it costs over Rs 1,070 because of the rising inflation.
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PM Modi holds talks with Dutch counterpart Jetten; discusses trade, investment
The Hague (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held wide-ranging talks with his Dutch counterpart Rob Jetten, focusing on trade, investment, and critical technologies.
Modi arrived in the Netherlands on Friday on the second leg of his five-nation tour. This is his second trip to the Netherlands, following his visit in 2017.
Ahead of the bilateral talks, Modi, along with Jetten, held discussions with prominent CEOs of leading Dutch companies across various sectors such as energy, ports, health, agriculture trade, and technology, among others.
Modi invited Dutch companies to explore opportunities in India, particularly in maritime, renewable energy, digital technologies, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and healthcare sectors.
"We are continuously reducing compliance and increasing the ease of doing business. We have recently carried out next-generation reforms in taxation, labour code, and governance," he told the business leaders.
The prime minister added that manufacturing in India is becoming very cost-effective, and in the services sector, it has become the engine of efficiency and innovation.
"We invite all of you to design and innovate in India. There can be no better time for this than today," he said.
"Today's India is a symbol of scale and stability. In terms of scale, we are also the fastest-growing major economy in the world and the world's largest talent pool. Infrastructure, clean energy or connectivity – no one in the world can match India's speed," Modi said.
"And on the subject of stability, I have completed 12 years of serving as the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy. In these 12 years, with continuous reforms, we have transformed our economic DNA. Our direction has been clear – to give policy predictability to the private sector and increase opportunities for them," he added.
Modi said his government has opened up every sector for the private sector, be it space, mining or nuclear energy.
Ahead of the meeting, an agreement between ASML and Tata Electronics was signed in the presence of the two leaders.
The two prime ministers also called for early implementation of the India-EU-FTA.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi met King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima at the Royal Palace and discussed close cooperation in digital technology, innovation, fintech and blue economy.
PM Modi's visit will build on the momentum of high-level engagements and close cooperation spanning diverse sectors, including defence, security, innovation, green hydrogen, semiconductors and a strategic partnership on water, the MEA said ahead of his visit.
The Netherlands is one of India's largest trade destinations in Europe, with bilateral trade worth USD 27.8 billion in 2024-25. The European nation is India's fourth-largest investor with cumulative foreign direct investment of USD 55.6 billion.
From the Netherlands, the prime minister will travel to Sweden for a two-day trip from May 17 to 18.
