Rahul Gandhi’s remark on giving Rs 1 lakh annually to unemployed youth shared out of context

By: Umme Kulsum
April 23 2024

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Screenshot of a post claiming the Congress wants to pay ₹1 lakh annually or about 8,500 monthly to unemployed youth for spending time on social media. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

What's the claim? 

A video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's speech has gone viral on social media with the claim that his party has promised Rs 8,500 per month to unemployed Indian youth who are "roaming on roads and scrolling through Instagram and Facebook 24x7." An X (formerly Twitter) account called 'Megh Updates,' known for spreading unverified claims and misinformation, shared this video in which Gandhi can be heard saying in Hindi, "Our youth who are roaming the streets, who scroll through Instagram, Facebook, Rs 1 lakh annually…Rs 8,500 per month will be deposited in their account by our government (rough translation)." The post was shared with the hashtag' #WealthRedistributionPlan.'

This narrative of 'wealth redistribution' has surfaced just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked at an election rally in Rajasthan on April 21 that if Congress comes to power, it will redistribute the nation's wealth among the Muslim community. 

Several posts have shared the clip to imply that Congress wants to pay the youth for spending on social media with taxpayer money if it wins in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls under its 'wealth redistribution' plans.Archived versions of such posts can be found here, here, and here.

Screenshot of claims made online. (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, the viral clip has been cropped out of a longer video and shared without context.

What did we find?

Logically Facts found the full video (archived here) on Rahul Gandhi's official YouTube channel, uploaded on April 20. Gandhi was addressing a rally in Bhagalpur, Bihar, for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and his speech was live-streamed by his YouTube channel.

Gandhi spoke about a Congress poll promise, the 'First Assured Job (Pehli Naukri Pakki)' program, and paid apprenticeships for eligible candidates, before he made the remarks now shared in the viral video. 

Around the 11:08 timestamp, he said: "We will grant all graduates and diploma holders in India an apprenticeship right. Please continue applauding. Let me clarify now, and then you'll understand. This apprenticeship right means every single youth in India will have the right to their first job, which our next elected government will ensure. Similar to how MGNREGA guarantees employment rights, we will provide graduates the right for their first job." (The MGNREGA (earlier known as NREGA) scheme promises at least 100 days of wage employment in a year to at least one member of every household whose members volunteer to do unskilled manual labor. The scheme was launched by the Congress government in 2005. )

Around the 11:53 timestamp, he added, "First job right means all graduates and diploma holders in India will receive a one-year apprenticeship, with one lakh rupees annually, approximately 8,500 rupees per month, deposited into their bank accounts. They will undergo training, and if they perform well in the first year, they will be offered permanent jobs. These apprenticeship opportunities will be available in the private sector, public sector units, and government. This initiative aims to provide training to numerous youths, thereby creating a skilled workforce. Our youths who are now roaming around the streets the streets, who scroll through Instagram, Facebook, Rs 1 lakh annually…Rs 8,500 per month, will be deposited in their account by our government (translated from Hindi)."

He concluded by stating that this program will support unemployed youths who are currently idle or spending time on social media. 

Moreover, the manifesto for 'Youth' published on the official website of the Indian National Congress (INC) explicitly outlines that the party pledges to introduce a new Right to Apprenticeship Act. Under the 'Jobs' section in their manifesto called 'Nyay Patra' (Justice Letter), the first point states: "Congress guarantees a new Right to Apprenticeship Act to provide a one year apprenticeship with a private or a public sector company to every diploma holder or college graduate below the age of 25. Apprentices will get ₹ 1 lakh a year. The apprenticeship will impart skills, enhance employability, and provide full-time job opportunities for millions of youth."

It should be noted that Congress will not be crediting ₹1 lakh to youths' accounts for free, but it would be their remuneration under the new proposed paid apprenticeship program. 

The verdict

A cropped clip of Rahul Gandhi is being shared to claim that Congress will pay all unemployed youth Rs 8,500 per month if the party comes to power. Gandhi actually spoke about the Congress's poll promise to provide paid apprenticeships to unemployed graduates and diploma holders in his speech, a part of which is being shared out of context. Therefore, we mark this claim as misleading.