Kollam, September 16: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday targetted the BJP and RSS over the rise in unemployment rate in the country and alleged that the NDA government at the Centre was interested only in protecting a few businessmen of the nation.

Addressing a massive crowd of thousands at Karunagappally, during the culmination of the ninth day of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi said the second richest man in the world now is a close associate of a leader of this country. Bharat Jodo Yatra: Rahul Gandhi Begins 4th Day of Kerala Leg on Spiritual Note by Paying Respects to Sree Narayana Guru.

"I want to ask you a simple question. If India has the second richest person in this world, then why are we having one of the highest unemployment rates?... The reason millions of Indians are unemployed is because the government is interested in protecting only a few businessmen of this country," he said.

The Congress leader claimed that millions were losing jobs due to disinvestment and privatisation of public sector companies. "Who all are taking over these public sector undertakings? They are going to the same five or six businessmen of this country, who are reaping the benefits from this government," Gandhi added.

Thousands joined Gandhi, when he began his evening leg of the foot march from the Chavara bus terminus waving Congress flags and accompanied him till Karunagappally, 10 kms away. In the morning, the march started from Polayathodu, covering a distance of almost 13 km.

The Congress party's 3,570 km and 150-day long foot march started from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 and will conclude in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which entered Kerala on September 10 evening, would traverse through the state covering 450 km, touching seven districts over a period of 19 days before entering Karnataka on October 1.

The yatra will enter Alappuzha on September 17 and pass through Ernakulam district on September 21 and 22 and reach Thrissur on September 23.

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