Over 3.5 lakh lost jobs in Ballari jeans industry due to note ban, 'faulty' GST: Rahul Gandhi

More than 3.5 lakh people working in the jeans industry in Karnatakas Ballari lost their livelihood due to demonetisation in 2016 and faulty implementation of Good and Services Tax GST, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led Central government on Wednesday.Speaking at a corner meeting in Muthangi near here after finishing the days foot march, Gandhi also said his party will stand behind employees and management of public sector undertakings that are on the radar of the Centre for privatisation.Ballari used to provide four lakh jobs in the jeans manufacturing industry.

More than 3.5 lakh people working in the jeans industry in Karnataka's Ballari lost their livelihood due to demonetisation in 2016 and ''faulty'' implementation of Good and Services Tax (GST), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led Central government on Wednesday.

Speaking at a 'corner meeting' in Muthangi near here after finishing the day's foot march, Gandhi also said his party will stand behind employees and management of public sector undertakings that are on the radar of the Centre for privatisation.

''Ballari used to provide four lakh jobs in the jeans manufacturing industry. Modi introduced note ban and faulty GST. After that, now only 40,000 work in the jeans industry, 3.5 lakh lost jobs and became unemployed,'' he alleged.

Describing PSUs as the capital of the country's industries, the former AICC president said employees and management of the companies are in constant fear of privatisation.

According to him, organisations such as Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) which makes missiles for the defence of India is also being privatised.

''They (Modi’s government) aim to create panic so that farmers and labourers are scared. I spoke to employees of BHEL and BDL which makes missiles for the country's defence. When I spoke to the employees, they feel apprehensive about the Centre that their organisation will be privatised,'' he said.

The Gandhi scion said the NDA government had to roll back the three farm laws after strong protests by agrarians of the country.

He claimed that half of the engineering graduates he spoke with during the yatra told him that half of them are working as drivers of cab aggregators like Ola and Uber while the rest have resorted to becoming laboures.

''Modi says you (youth) make pakoda. I don't meet any pakoda makers. This is the situation of Indian youth. Everybody thinks that they don't get jobs,'' he further said.

Gandhi alleged that most of the money in the country goes to a few friends of Modi while in Telangana it goes to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's family members.

He reiterated that the TRS and BJP work in tandem.

Rahul Gandhi said BJP toppled the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh and unsuccessfully tried it in Rajasthan.

Earlier in the morning, an old lady fell down while trying to meet Gandhi during the foot march. After noticing it, Gandhi approached her and gave her the sandals with his hands.

Gandhi played cricket with a Class 5 student at Patancheru. The student submitted a letter to the Congress leader to ensure that fees in private schools are reduced.

Meanwhile, former Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut injured his right eyebrow while walking with Gandhi during the yatra on Monday. He has been admitted to Vasavi Hospital here.

A Telangana police official pushed him hard and he fell on the ground, Congress sources alleged.