Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday blamed the high levels of unemployment under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government for the rising smartphone addiction among India’s youth. The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad was addressing a gathering at Jantar Mantar during the joint protest of the INDIA alliance against the suspension of a record 146 Opposition MPs from Parliament.

“I got a small survey done recently… I was surprised to find that an average Indian youth spends 7 and a half hours on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and generally looking at his phone. An Indian youth in Narendra Modi’s government is spending 7 and a half hours a day on his cell phone. Because Narendra Modi has failed to get employment for India’s youth,” Rahul said.

VIDEO | “Two-three youths entered the Parliament with smoke cannister and we saw how BJP MPs got scared and ran away. Now, it is definitely a question of a security breach but the reason behind the protest (of youth intruding into the Lok Sabha) is unemployment,” says Congress MP… pic.twitter.com/UjajLm5hjr

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 22, 2023

Rahul’s comments came in reference to the Parliament security breach on December 13 when a group of youngsters entered the Lok Sabha gallery with smoke cans and created a ruckus inside the House. Rahul said that while the breach inside Parliament was a serious security issue, the reason behind it was equally important.

“While the breach is a question of Parliament security, There is another question. Why did the intruders resort to such a protest? The reason was unemployment… the terrifying unemployment in the country. The youth of the country cannot gain employment,” Rahul said at the event that was also attended by several senior Opposition leaders like Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Also Read: No feeling of discrimination towards any religious minority in India: PM Modi

The protests came in the wake of the mass suspension of Opposition MPs from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament. A total of 100 Lok Sabha MPs and 46 Rajya Sabha MPs, all from the Opposition, were suspended for disorderly conduct during the past week. The MPs were demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the security breach in Parliament.

Addressing the gathering, Rahil also referred to the controversy around his recording a video of the Opposition protest where Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee mimicked Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Rahul sought to suggest that the controversy around him making a video was unwarranted and a bid to deviate attention from other pressing issues.

“Media did not talk about the unemployment in the country. Instead, the media started talking about Rahul Gandhi recording videos of MPs sitting outside the Parliament. The media did not question Amit Shah on the security breach in the House,” Rahul added.