Rahul Gandhi on Issues Faced by Youth
- Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of diverting the attention of the youth from important issues such as education, jobs, and healthcare.
- He said Modi was encouraging the youth to remain distracted with social media, especially short-form videos, rather than focus on contemporary national challenges.
- Addressing campaign meetings in Aurangabad and Gaya on the last day of campaigning for the first phase of Bihar elections, Rahul Gandhi said the government promotes online entertainment to reduce accountability.
- According to him, "Modi wants the youth to stay busy on Instagram and Facebook, addicted to reels. It's a new form of distraction in the 21st century. It diverts young minds from holding the government responsible."
- He further linked this attitude to Modi’s alleged “fake degree,” insinuating that the lack of respect for education explains his indifference to India’s academic heritage. "He does not understand the historical importance of Nalanda University," added Gandhi.
Allegations of Rigging of Votes in Bihar
- Rahul Gandhi further accused Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of being involved in vote manipulation in Bihar.
- He said the ruling party knows it is losing favour with the populace and is bent on contesting the elections through foul means.
- "Modi says that if Congress and RJD come to power, Bihar will fall into chaos. But the fact is he is creating unrest through vote rigging," Gandhi said.
Concerns About Bihar's Development Rahul Gandhi asked what had changed in Bihar under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's long regime. He asserted despite two decades of governance, Bihar still grapples with development and employment opportunities. He added that many Bihari youths work in other states like Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. He mentioned that Bihari youth help build big projects like bridges and tunnels, yet back home, there is a lack of opportunities for them. He asked, “Is this the future you want? Should you continue working as laborers for your entire life?”
