BJP turned demographic dividend into demographic disaster: Randeep Surjewala slams Goa govt

The Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday slammed the Pramod Sawant led BJP government in Goa over the issue of unemployment, women safety.

Surjewala charged that the Bharatiya Janata Party has turned "demographic dividend into a demographic disaster."

"In Goa, over a lakh youth are registered on the state employment market with no jobs. The systematic decimation of tourism, fisheries, MSMEs and mining by the BJP Government has made the situation even more grim," alleged Surjewala.

"On the eve of elections, the Modi government had promised 60 lakh jobs in five years by 2027-28. This itself is a cruel joke. The Chief Minister Pramod Sawant is making similar fake promises," he said.

The Congress leader further claimed that 30 lakh posts are lying vacant in the Central Government and another 30 lakh posts are vacant in the state governments.

Slamming the state government over alleged irregularities in the recruitment process of Goa Medical College, the Congress leader said that "BJP's moto is jobs for sale".

"GMC Jobs Scam involving 1371 posts has reflected unimaginable levels of corruption in the Pramod Sawant Government. Also, PWD Jobs Scam has shocked the conscience of every Goan, which also made the High Court of Bombay in Goa to comment, 'What's all this?...

How can he be... like Alice in Wonderland...' as recently as on January 19. The audio clips have reached the doorsteps of Deputy CM, Chandrakant Kavalekar and many other ministers and BJP MLAs," he said.

"The 'Jobs for Sale' design of the BJP is not restricted to Goa. Recently, similar recruitment irregularities were seen in the BJP led Uttar Pradesh, while 32 papers have been leaked and sold in the BJP ruled Haryana with identical scams in the BJP ruled MP, Himachal, Assam, Uttarakhand etc," he alleged.

Further slamming the BJP over the issue of women safety, Surjewala said: "Anti-women mindset of the BJP in Goa is apparent from the statement of CM Pramod Sawant, who had responded to the gruesome rape of two girls near Benaulim Beach by asking as to why did their parents allow them to go to the beach at night,"

The Congress leader asserted that the BJP should be ashamed of the extent of sex trafficking in Goa, which is highest in the country, while 66 per cent of rape survivors in Goa are minors.

Goa will go to the Assembly polls on February 14. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

(ANI)