- ‘Job Theft, Vote Theft Won’t Be Tolerated’: Rahul’s Stinging Attack on Modi Govt
New Delhi, Sept 23: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday sharpened his attack on the government, linking the surge in unemployment with what he termed as “vote theft” and the collapse of democratic institutions. Taking to X, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha described joblessness as the single biggest challenge confronting India’s youth, stressing that it cannot be separated from the alleged manipulation of electoral processes.
“When a government genuinely earns people’s trust and wins elections honestly, its foremost responsibility is to provide employment and opportunities to its young citizens,” Gandhi remarked. “But the BJP is not coming to power through honest means. They remain in power by stealing votes and controlling institutions,” he alleged, adding that this political environment has pushed unemployment to a 45-year high.
According to Gandhi, the current state of affairs is marked by collapsing recruitment processes, rampant corruption, and recurring exam paper leaks that have cast a shadow over the future of millions of aspirants. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being more invested in public relations exercises and photo opportunities than in addressing the real issues that matter to young Indians. “Students work hard, they dream of a better future, but instead of jobs they are greeted with lathis on the streets, while the Prime Minister busies himself with PR stunts, peacock feeding, and celebrity endorsements,” he said.
The Congress leader argued that the discontent among young people is no longer confined to unemployment alone but is increasingly intertwined with the erosion of democratic practices. “The fight is not only for jobs but against vote theft. Because until elections are fair and free, unemployment and corruption will only deepen,” he warned.
Gandhi insisted that the younger generation is awakening to this reality and will not continue to tolerate what he called “job theft” and “vote theft.” He positioned this struggle as an act of patriotism, declaring that “true nationalism today lies in freeing India from both unemployment and the theft of votes.”
To reinforce his point, Gandhi shared a split-screen video montage: one half showing police using lathicharge on protesting students demanding jobs, and the other showing Prime Minister Modi engaged in symbolic activities such as planting saplings, feeding peacocks, and practising yoga. The juxtaposition, Gandhi suggested, underscored the government’s misplaced priorities and detachment from the crises confronting India’s youth.