New Delhi [India], August 19 (ANI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday alleged that the Modi government had "devastated the future of the youth" over the past 12 years, claiming that 94,000 schools had shut down in recent years and calling for a clear, comprehensive and time-bound "Education-to-Employment Roadmap" for young people.
Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the party headquarters, Indira Bhawan, Kharge alleged that instead of new schools opening, 94,000 schools had shut down in recent years.
He further alleged that higher education was becoming increasingly expensive and out of reach for ordinary families due to what he described as a race towards privatisation, and claimed that educational institutions were increasingly being taken over by RSS affiliates.
"The time has come for Congress to prepare a clear, comprehensive, and time-bound Education-to-Employment Roadmap for the youth to prepare for the future," Kharge said.
Kharge also raised questions over the money, gold, and other donations received by the Ram Mandir trust. He said people had the right to know how the donations were being accounted for and used, and said any financial wrongdoing should be properly investigated and those responsible held accountable.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) held a crucial meeting at the party headquarters, Indira Bhawan, in Delhi on Wednesday, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
In his remarks at the meeting, Kharge said the CWC was meeting for the first time since the conclusion of the Parliament session and would discuss pressing issues concerning the country, including the future of youth, accountability over donations to the Ram Temple trust, and reports of Chinese encroachment along India's borders.
Kharge said the condition of India's youth was a major concern, alleging that government policies had pushed young people into "a quagmire of profound despair". He said education and employment had been neglected amid what he described as a "race of communal frenzy and revdi culture".
Recalling former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ahead of his birth anniversary on August 20, Kharge said his government had placed youth at the centre of its policies. He referred to the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18, the establishment of Navodaya Vidyalayas, and initiatives linking education with employment and skill development.
Kharge also credited successive Congress governments with expanding access to education and said the IT and communication revolution had empowered 21st-century India.
He further said educated youth faced paper leaks, recruitment examination scams, and delays in appointments while searching for jobs, with poor and marginalised sections suffering the most.
Kharge said the Congress had taken up youth issues on its agenda and referred to Rahul Gandhi's "Chhatron Ki Goonj" programme. He said that the atrocities against students were discussed and accountability was established. However, Modi and Amit Shah avoided questions throughout the monsoon session. Now they have begun speaking, but instead of addressing the youth's questions, they are highlighting non-issues.
"The time has come for Congress to prepare a clear, comprehensive, and time-bound Education-to-Employment Roadmap for the youth to prepare for the future," he said.
On reports concerning Chinese encroachment along India's borders, Kharge said national security should neither be politicised nor ignored. He said citizens had a right to know the actual situation along the country's borders.
Kharge also praised the armed forces and said questions regarding the government's position and the border situation should be answered by the government.
Referring to the 2020 Galwan clash, he said serious questions about the border situation were still being raised six years later and alleged that the government was not providing clear information.
He praised the Armed Forces for their role and said questions regarding the government's position and the situation along the borders should be answered by the government.
"The future of the youth, the faith of the people and the borders of the country - at the centre of all three is the same question: Is this government worthy of the people's trust?" Kharge said.
He said, "These are the questions that we must seriously deliberate upon today," and present options, policies, and solutions before the country, noting that elections in five states were immediately ahead and preparations had already begun.
Kharge said the Congress' struggle was not merely for political power but to safeguard democracy, uphold the Constitution of India, and build a better future for the people of the country and future generations. (ANI)
Kharge accuses Modi govt of destroying the future of youth, calls for time-bound Education-to-Employment roadmap
