Over 2 lakh jobs 'eliminated' from PSUs, govt 'trampling on hopes of youngsters': Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi, Jun 18: Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday claimed that over two lakh jobs have been "eliminated" from PSUs and alleged the government was "trampling" on the hopes of youngsters to benefit a few "crony capitalist friends".
Gandhi said Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) used to be the pride of India and the dream of every youngster for employment, but today, they are "not the priority of the government".
"Employment in PSUs of the country has come down from 16.9 lakh in 2014 to only 14.6 lakh in 2022. Do jobs decrease in a progressing country? 1,81,127 jobs lost in BSNL; 61,928 in SAIL; 34,997 in MTNL; 29,140 in SECL; 28,063 in FCI; 21,120 in ONGC," he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Hitting out at the government, Gandhi said those who made false promises of providing two crore jobs every year "eliminated" more than two lakh jobs instead of increasing their numbers.
"On top of this, contract recruitment has almost doubled in these institutions. Is increasing contract employees not a way of taking away the constitutional right of reservation? Is this a conspiracy to privatise these companies," the Congress leader asked.
"Industrialists' loans waived and government jobs eliminated from PSUs! What kind of 'Amrit Kaal' is this," he added.
If this really is 'Amrit Kaal', then why are jobs disappearing like this, Gandhi further asked.
"The country is grappling with record unemployment under this government as the hopes of lakhs of youngsters are being trampled for the benefit of a few crony capitalist friends," he alleged.
If the PSUs of India get the right environment and support from the government, they are capable of boosting both the economy and employment, Gandhi stressed.
PSUs are the property of the country and the people, he said, adding they have to be promoted so that they can strengthen the path of India's progress.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also slammed the government, saying the 'tamasha' of the prime minister's 'Rozgar Mela' was "rubbing salt on the wounds" of lakhs of youngsters wandering in search of jobs.
"Next time this tamasha happens, remember these truths that the prime minister will never accept: The PM is selling off the country's prized national assets to his chosen friends like Adani to help monopolise large parts of India's economy.
"At a time when the Modi government has destroyed more than two lakh jobs in public sector enterprises alone and crores more people need jobs, distributing appointment letters for regular recruitments on already approved posts is a crude joke," Ramesh said in a tweet in Hindi.
"The shrinking of public sector jobs is particularly harmful to Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs. Reservation has helped lakhs of families secure a livelihood and avoid humiliation," he said.
पीएसयू भारत की शान हुआ करते थे और रोज़गार के लिए हर युवा का सपना हुआ करते थे। मगर, आज ये सरकार की प्राथमिकता नहीं हैं।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 18, 2023
देश के पीएसयू में रोज़गार, 2014 में 16.9 लाख से कम हो कर 2022 में मात्र 14.6 लाख रह गए हैं। क्या एक प्रगतिशील देश में रोज़गार घटते हैं?
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
