Slamming the Narendra Modi-led BJP Government at the Centre for allegedly privatising and shutting down Public Sector undertakings, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said such steps have led to acute unemployment among the youth of the country.

She said the GST and demonetisation had severely distressed small traders and citizens.

Addressing an election rally at Kukshi town in the tribal-dominated Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi averred that today the two biggest problems facing the country are unemployment and high prices.

 “There has never been so much unemployment in the country in the past 45 years,” she alleged.

 “The Union government has shut down public sector establishments, which resulted in high unemployment. They then introduced demonetization and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). GST has troubled everybody, including small traders. It has resulted in inflation,” she charged.

She claimed the Modi Government has given all major public sector firms to industrialists like Adani and Ambani either for free or at a very small price. Priyanka Gandhi alleged that the BJP government snatched the money of poor people and gave it to industrialists.

She asked the crowd if they knew what Adani and Ambani make. She said they only make a fool of people. “Adani ji earns Rs 1,600 crore per day whereas a farmer of the country earns only Rs 27,” she alleged.

“PM Modi flies in two planes worth Rs 16,000 crore, each being of Rs 8,000 crore, and he wears clothes worth lakhs of rupees,” she alleged.

The Congress leader said the Union government has stopped pension claiming there is no money then how they have waived off loans of the big industrialists.

She said public sector firms were being given to industrialists free of cost, be it BHEL, railways, airports, ports etc, which was causing unemployment in the country.

She charged why the women reservation bill would be implemented after 10 years and why it should not be started right now giving 33 per cent reservation to women.

She also supported the caste-based census saying it is necessary to ensure that the OBCs and backward classes get adequate representation in jobs.

Accusing the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government of Madhya Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi said the state government had failed on all counts.

 “The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government made more than 22,000 announcements during its long rule but have they fulfilled even 22 of them,” she asked.

 “The list of scams by the Shivraj government is endless, including the Vyapam scam, patwari exam scam, nutritious meal scam and many more,” she charged.

She questioned why the schemes like Laadli Behna yojana have been started just about three months before the polls?

She urged the people to become aware and vote the Congress to power.

She said the Congress governments in other states had implemented poll guarantees like providing Rs 1,500 per month to women, cylinders at Rs 500 and resumption of Old Pension Scheme.

She asked the crowd to vote for the Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls to ensure a bright future and development for themselves, their future generations and the state.

Voting on the 230 seats in the Madhya Pradesh State Assembly elections would take place on 17 November.