If selling pakodas is a 'job', even begging is a job: Chidambaram lambastes Modi

Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his comments in a recent interview where he answered criticism over not creating enough jobs by saying a pakoda seller earning Rs 200 a day should also be considered employed, Chidambaram on Sunday in a series of Tweets said 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, he said.

Former finance minister and Congress leader said that the claim of 70 lakh new jobs in 2017-18 has been punctured by two scholars. 

''Be prepared for an assault on our commonsense by wild claims of job creation by the government,'' he tweeted on Sunday morning.

Quoting a media report, Chidambaram said that the number of contributing members in EPFO declined from 462 lakh in July 2017 to 438 lakh in September 2017.

''Earlier it was claimed that a Mudra loan of Rs 43,000 (average loan size) created at least one new job. Show me one person who can 'create' a new job out of Rs 43,000 investment,'' he asked in another Tweet.

The Congress leader also blasted a minister for his comments that MGNREGA workers to be counted as holding jobs. ''Another minister wanted MGNREGA workers to be counted as holding jobs. So they are 'job' holders for 100 days and jobless for 265 days!'' he stated in another tweet.

''Real job creation will be reflected by the robust increase in private investment, private consumption, exports and credit demand. Not happening yet. The truth is India is witnessing a three year spell of modest, but jobless, growth and the government is clueless about how to create jobs,'' he said in another tweet.