New Delhi, November 6: With unemployment peaking to 8.5 percent in the month of October, as per the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) data, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi launched a stinging attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under his tenure, the Gandhi scion said, unemployment has been rising at an unprecedented rate. Job Loss: Employment in India Declines by 9 Million Between 2011 and 2018, Finds Study.

"With each passing month the Modi Minar races upwards at a breathtaking pace; a monument dedicated to incompetence," Gandhi said, sharing the monthwise job data released b CMIE -- pointing towards a 1.34 percent rise in unemployment in a month's period.

In September, the unemployment rate stood at 7.16 percent, whereas, it was 9.59 percent in August. The numbers reflect the overall downturn in the economy, with the maximum job losses being reported in the automobile sector.

Rahul Gandhi's Tweet:

The Congress has planned a joint Opposition rally in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on December 1 to protest against the economic policies of the Narendra Modi government which has led to a slowdown, along with a crisis in the agrarian sector.

The rally was finalised after a meeting held between top Opposition leaders, including Congress' veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI's D Raja, RLD's Ajeet Singh and representatives from the NCP, RJD, JMM and other parties.

The Opposition, according to pollsters, will strengthen their attempts to corner the government over economic slowdown as the results of the Maharashtra and Haryana assembly polls delivered a setback to the BJP. Though the party emerged as the single-largest group, it fell significantly short of the majority-mark in both the states. While realpolitik has allowed it to retain Haryana, the struggle to form a post-poll pact in Maharashtra continues.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 06, 2019 11:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).