(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Firing a fresh salvo at the Centre, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that the country's youth are being 'pushed to darkness' because of the 'unprecedented' rise in unemployment levels under the current dispensation.

Taking to X, the Congress leader slammed the Modi government for 'failing' to address high unemployment among the youth and also linked it to vote fraud and 'vote chori'.

“The biggest problem for youth in India is unemployment - and it is directly linked to vote theft,” he wrote in the post on X.

He said that whenever any government comes to power by winning the trust of people, its first duty is to provide employment and opportunities to the youth and accused the BJP of having scant regard for this.

“BJP does not win elections honestly - they stay in power by stealing votes and holding institutions captive. That's why unemployment has reached its highest level in 45 years,” Rahul Gandhi alleged.

He further claimed that jobs are declining, recruitment processes have collapsed, and the youth's future is being pushed into darkness.

Stepping up the attack further, he said that the government was prioritising businessmen and billionaires over the youth and said this has dashed the latter's hopes.

While levelling these charges, he also shared a video comprising multiple incidents of lathi charge by policemen on the protesting students.

He said that the youth of the nation was now realising that they must fight the vote theft as this is the 'real' challenge before them.

“As long as elections continue to be stolen, unemployment and corruption will also keep increasing. Now, the youth will neither tolerate the looting of jobs nor the theft of votes,” he said, seeking to evoke public support.

“Freeing India from unemployment and vote theft is now the greatest patriotism,” he said on a concluding note.

Rahul Gandhi's fresh assertions and drawing a link between unemployment and vote theft assume significance as they seek to galvanise the support of unemployed youths ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.

Congress has already upped the ante on 'vote chori' claims ahead of state elections. Rahul held his second presser on electoral malpractices recently and also warned of 'big disclosures' under the imminent hydrogen bomb threat.

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