If you're self-employed, you are beggar for Congress

Millions of self-employed Indians working in unorganised sector and boosting India’s growth story were insulted by Congress leader and former Union minister P Chidambaram today in a tweet that, “Even selling pakodas is a ‘job’ said PM. By that logic, even begging is a job. Let’s count poor or disabled persons who are forced to beg for a living as ’employed’ people.” Such a statement by former minister who handled the finance portfolio in the UPA government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh explains why the unorganised sector suffered its worst in the UPA period.

5. Even selling pakodas is a ‘job’ said PM. By that logic, even begging is a job. Let’s count poor or disabled persons who are forced to beg for a living as ’employed’ people.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 28, 2018

Job creation is one of the focus areas of the government from its begining in May 2014. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark during a television interview last week about, whether a person earning Rs. 200 a day selling “pakodas” can be considered unemployed, had triggered this debate on job creation and reflected in the form of some ugly remarks by oppositions leader and their assosiates. Ahead of parliament’s budget session, this is being embellished on social media under the hashtags #pakodanomics, #PakodaRojgar, #Pakoda and #Pakodafor2019. This is not the first time when Congress has tried to insult the profession of common people. While while taking a jibe on PM Modi before election congress party leaders at multiple occasion said that being a tea-seller in the past, he is not suitable for the top position of the country. However, common people on social media quickly reacted against this insult for themselves.

Only in @INCIndia begging can be termed as a job, where skills takes the backseat and begging and sycophancy overshadows everything. 2/n

— Suman Mondal (@Suman_NewIndia) January 28, 2018

My dear economist from elitist University, if selling tea and pagodas is not employment, then all restaurants and hotels should be kept out of the purview of employment. Only an EVIL GENIUS can compare BEGGING with SELLING TEA AND PAKORAS. #Senility I think. #PakodaNomics #jobs

— deepak budki (@deepkbudki) January 28, 2018

Those who made a job of selling India should not comment on those who earn a living through hard work .

— #IndiaFirst (@savitha_rao) January 28, 2018