Cong holds stir on fuel price hike, farm laws

NEW DELHI: The Congress wished Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 71st birthday on Friday and observed the day as “unemployment day”, “antifarmer day” and “high prices day” – the three issues raging in the country -- to mark his alleged “failures”. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi lead the greetings and tweeted, “Happy Birthday, Modi ji.”

The party’s frontal organisations, Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and National Students Union of India (NSUI), observed the day as the “national unemployment day”. Justifying the party’s stand, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate cited the examples of Children’s Day, National Integration Day, Sadbhavna Day and Good Governance Day, which are celebrated to mark the birth anniversaries of former prime ministers. “Modi’s birthday is being observed as unemployment day,” she said.

“It is the prime minister’s birthday and from this platform, we wish him a happy birthday. We pray for his well being, but we do believe that this day is being celebrated in many parts of the country as unemployment day, anti-farmer day, high prices day, crippled economy day, as winning over your crony capitalists friends day, as ED, IT, CBI raid day, and the corona mismanagement day,” Shrinate told mediapersons.

The Congress leader said that the country is paying “a heavy price” for the alleged failures of the Prime Minister over the last seven years. The Congress has said that India has the highest rate of unemployment despite Modi’s promises. Jobs are being lost and farmers have been protesting against the contentious farm laws for nine months without a resolution in sight, the party said.