Union Minister Nitin Gadkari gave the opposition an opportunity on Sunday to assail the government on the employment scenario with his “no jobs” remark while talking to reporters during a meeting called to discuss the Maratha agitation.

Speaking in Marathi, Gadkari said, “For a moment, assume that you have the reservation you seek. But there are no jobs!”

Advertisement

Explaining the lack of jobs, Gadkari said, “In banks, the jobs have shrunk because of IT. The government recruitment is frozen. Where are the jobs?”

The Congress pounced on Gadkari’s remarks to raise the issue of unemployment under the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Party spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi took a dig at the BJP while quoting Gadkari.

“’Where are the jobs?’ asks Nitin Gadkari. Finally Nitinbhai admits that the Modi government has been a total failure in creating new jobs. In the BJP, honesty is rarest of rare but not dead I can see,” she wrote on Twitter.

“Where are the jobs?” asks Nitin Gadkari

Finally Nitinbhai admits that the Modi government has been a total failure in creating new jobs.

In the BJP, honesty is rarest of rare but not dead I can see.

— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) August 5, 2018

Manish Tiwari reminded that the two crore jobs promised by the Modi government were illusory.

“Hon’ble Minister of Surface Transport @nitin_gadkari should be complimented for his candour,” said Tiwari on Twitter.

“He has conceded that there are no jobs in India today. 2 crore jobs an year that @narendramodi promised were a Chimera.Hon’ble Prime Minister do you agree with your Ministerial Colleague,” Tiwari said.

Hon’ble Minister of Surface Transport @nitin_gadkari should be complimented for his candour. He has conceded that there are no jobs in India today. 2 crore jobs an year that @narendramodi promised were a Chimera.Hon’ble Prime Minister do you agree with your Ministerial Colleague https://t.co/sL0AlxwtM4

— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) August 5, 2018

Even the Communist Party of India (Marxist) pointed at Gadkari’s “admission”.

“Union Minister BJP’s Nitin Gadkari admits that the Modi Govt has being a total failure in creating Jobs,” a tweet posted from the official handle of the party read.

Union Minister BJP’s Nitin Gadkari admits that the Modi Govt has being a total failure in creating Jobs. https://t.co/CEpGTZpF6S

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) August 5, 2018

Besides the “no jobs” remark, Gadkari also said the problem with the quota was that backwardness was becoming a political interest.

“Everyone says I am backward. In Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Brahmins are strong. They dominate politics. (And) They say they are backward,” Gadkari said.

“So one school of thought is that a poor is a poor, he has no caste, creed or language. Whatever may be the religion – the Muslim, the Hindu or the Maratha (a caste), in all communities there is one section which has no clothes to wear, no food to eat. One school of thought also is (that) we must also consider the poorest of the poor section in every community,” he said.

The Union Minister said that this “socio-economic thinking” must not be politicised but also clarified in a tweet posted later that the BJP government has no plans of changing reservation from caste-based to one based on economic conditions.

My attention has been drawn to certain media reports attributed to me. There is absolutely no thinking at the central government to change the reservation criteria from castes to economic conditions.

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) August 4, 2018

Urging the agitators to maintain peace, Gadkari said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was trying to resolve the Maratha quota through talks. He also asked political parties “not to add fuel to fire”.