"It's worst year in terms of livelihood": CPI-M's Sitaram Yechuri attacks Centre

Kannur (Kerala) [India], December 29 : Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri on Friday attacked the central government saying that this period has been the "worst" year in terms of livelihood and he also claimed that unemployment is at an "all-time high".
"There's a lot of propaganda going on around the Indian economy saying it is a vibrant economy and that it is growing... This period has been the worst year in terms of livelihood. Unemployment is at an all-time high. The government has been doing a lot of data fudging...Now they have added another kind of employment to their data, which is, unpaid labour, and this is the largest category of employment," Yechuri said while addressing the media.
"As far as industry is concerned, it cannot grow because there's no domestic demand... When there's no demand, there will be no investments and this government's projections for the coming fiscal year, the proposals for new investments have come down by more than 70% both in private as well as government sector, " he added.
The opposition parties have been targeting the Narendra Modi-led central government over unemployment and inflation rates in the country.
Earlier, Congress leader Sam Pitroda raised a question, stating, "Is Ram Mandir the real issue or unemployment and inflation?"
"I have no problem with any religion. It is okay to go visit the temple once in a while, but you can't make that the main platform. 40 per cent of the people vote for BJP, and 60 per cent of the people do not vote for BJP. He is everybody's Prime Minister and not a party's Prime Minister and that's the message the people of India want him to have. Talk about employment, talk about inflation, talk about science and technology and challenges. They (people) have to decide what are the real issues- is Ram Mandir the real issue? Or unemployment is a real issue. Is Ram Mandir the real issue or Inflation is a real issue?" he told ANI.
Meanwhile, the government has been asserting that under Modi's government, the country became the world's fifth-greatest economy.
Earlier on Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted ongoing development in India and asserted that the Indian government's efforts are aimed at making India a successful and developed country in the next 25 years.
"You can see our effort is to ensure that in the next 25 years, we are successful and become a developed country. A developed country doesn't just mean a developed economy, it is also a country which is aware, conscious and proud of its traditions, heritage and culture," he said.