COMMENTARY
INTERVIEWS
SPECIALS
CHAT
ARCHIVES

Sonia faults Union government for slow industrial growth

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led 18-party coalition government at the Centre of failing to ensure industrial growth and investment which were vital for checking unemployment.

Addressing the second All India Girl Delegates Convention of the National Students Union of India in New Delhi, she called upon the students to come to the forefront in demanding better job opportunities and education from the government. You should not be obsessed with politics and elections, she advised them.

She observed that about 50 per cent of population comprises youths below 24 years of age. They are responsible for dealing with the major problems of the 21st century.

A major section of people lives below the poverty line. Issues like that, she implied, called for immediate attention and could be tackled outside party politics, she said without elaborating.

Referring to children, she said most of them suffered from malnutrition and underweight and called upon the NSUI members to address themselves to such issues.

She also asked the young women to draw up concrete plans for development activities, literacy campaigns and fighting social evils such as dowry, sati and infanticide.

School and college students should be involved in development activities as had been suggested by Rajiv Gandhi, she said.

UNI