Lucknow: As the Bharatiya Janata Party celebrated 12 years of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, Uttar Pradesh Congress president and former minister Ajay Rai launched a sharp attack on the regime, alleging failure in employment generation, education, inflation management, and economic governance.
In a statement on Wednesday, Rai questioned the government's decision to mark the occasion as a celebration, claiming that the past 12 years were marked by rising unemployment, repeated examination paper leaks, and growing economic distress.
The Congress member alleged that more than 90 competitive examinations across the country were affected by paper leaks during the BJP's tenure, including over 24 in Uttar Pradesh. He said repeated irregularities had undermined the confidence of students and job aspirants in the examination system.
Targeting the government's employment record, Rai claimed the BJP failed to fulfil its promise of creating jobs and had instead pushed a large section of the population towards dependence on welfare schemes. Referring to beneficiaries of the free ration programme, he argued that the government's economic policies had not generated sufficient employment opportunities.
Rai also criticised the Centre's handling of the economy, inflation, and agriculture, alleging that rising prices of essential commodities, LPG, petrol, and diesel had increased the burden on households. He claimed farmers were facing difficulties in accessing fertilisers and accused the government of failing to control black marketing.
Rai raised concerns over foreign policy and the functioning of constitutional institutions, alleging that democratic institutions had lost their independence under the present dispensation.
The BJP has consistently rejected such criticism, maintaining that its welfare initiatives, infrastructure push, and economic reforms improved living standards and accelerated development across the country.
The exchange comes as political parties intensify their campaigns ahead of key electoral contests, with governance, employment, and inflation expected to remain major issues in the run-up to the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
