“800 had reached there; that number can also be 8000, says Congress Leader Udit Raj on stampede-like situation at Ankleshwar

New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Speaking about the incident of a stampede-like situation where several people turned up for a walk-in interview in the Bharuch district of Gujarat, Congress leader Udit Raj said that the number could have also reached 8000.

Speaking on the issue of unemployment and job promises made by the ruling party, Raj said that for two posts, there are 10,000 people and for ten posts, there are lakhs.

“800 had reached there; that number can also be 8000. For just two posts, there are 10,000 people. For 10 posts, there are lakhs of people,” he said.

Udit Raj’s comments came after a Viral video surfaced online that reportedly showed job seekers pushing and shoving as they tried to secure a spot on a ramp leading to the entrance of a hotel where the interview was being held. The video also showed that the ramp’s railing eventually collapsed, causing several aspirants to fall off. The incident

Congress Leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also took to social media platform X, saying that the ‘disease of unemployment’ has taken the form of an epidemic in India and the BJP-ruled states are the epicentre of it.

“The ‘disease of unemployment’ has taken the form of an epidemic in India and BJP-ruled states have become the ‘epicentre’ of this disease. The ‘future of India’ jostling in queues for a common job is the reality of Narendra Modi’s ‘Amritkal’,” Gandhi said.

Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, also took to X and said that the incident was proof of the “cheating model” followed by the BJP to the people of Gujarat for the last 22 years.

“This video is proof of the “cheating model” followed by the BJP for the people of Gujarat for the last 22 years. This video is solid proof of the way the Modi government has snatched jobs from youth and destroyed their future in the last 10 years. BJP’s promise to provide two crore jobs annually–paper leaks, recruitment corruption, education mafia, keeping government jobs vacant for years, knowingly not filling SC/ST/OBC/EWS posts, bringing in schemes like Agniveer and recruiting on contract, and leaving millions of youth to wander from door to door,” he said.

However, the BJP rubbished the Congress’ charge saying that the individuals who had come for the interview were not unemployed and were experienced professionals who had responded to a job advertisement.

“A viral video from Ankleshwar is attempting to defame Gujarat. The walk-in interview ad clearly states that experienced candidates are needed, implying they are already employed. Thus, claiming these individuals are unemployed is baseless,” said Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi.