Hundreds of jobless young people marched Thursday through the streets of the Indian capital demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government tackle what they called a rising unemployment crisis.
The protesters disputed the government’s claim that it has created millions of jobs since it came to power in 2014 with the economy growing around 7 percent annually. They marched from the 17th century Red Fort to a park near India’s Parliament building.Dismissing the economic expansion as a jobless growth, the protesters said authorities should immediately fill 2.4 million vacancies in government jobs to reduce unemployment.
Media reports say the government is suppressing data showing the country’s unemployment rate has hit a 45-year high of 6.1 percent. The government says the figures are premature and official numbers will be announced in March.
