Rahul Gandhi should first provide the ED right answers on the serious charges of corruption against him, Union minister Anurag Thakur said on Tuesday in response to the Congress leader's criticism of the prime minister's decision to provide 10 lakh jobs in the next 18 months.
The former Congress president, who appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for a second consecutive day of questioning in a money laundering probe, has dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's move a "maha jumla".
Though everyone has welcomed the prime minister's decision, taken in the interest of the youth, Gandhi has expressed anger and questioned why the youth would get jobs, Thakur said.
"I would only say to Rahul ji, you should first provide the right answers to ED on the serious charges of corruption made against you so that you provide information during the two days of your questioning that is carrying on," the BJP leader told reporters.
"Rather than welcoming the decision, I think he is too busy dealing with other issues and unable to show his happiness towards this decision," he added.
The prime minister has asked various government departments and ministries to undertake the recruitment of 10 lakh people on a "mission mode" in the next year-and-a-half, his office said on Tuesday.
Thanking Modi, Thakur said, "This is big news for the youth of the country."
"We welcome this decision and have already started taking meetings with all ministries and departments so that this should be done at the earliest. The prime minister has set a deadline of 18 months so that these 10 lakh posts are filled," the Union minister said.
The prime minister is not an expert at creating jobs, but in creating "news" over jobs, Gandhi alleged.
"Just like eight years ago the youth were deceived with a promise of 2 crore jobs every year, in the same manner it is now the turn of 10 lakh government jobs. This is a government not of 'jumlas' (rhetoric) but 'maha jumlas'," he said in a tweet in Hindi.