Former finance minister P. Chidambaram courted controversy after he slammed the Modi government for failing to create jobs by saying that if selling ‘pakodas’ is a job, then even begging should be counted as legitimate employment.
5. Even selling pakodas is a 'job' said PM. By that logic, even begging is a job. Let's count poor or disabled persons who are forced to beg for a living as 'employed' people.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 28, 2018
Chidambaram was reacting to Narendra Modi’s statement during a TV interview earlier this month wherein the Prime Minister had said: “If a person sells “pakodas” and takes home Rs. 200 every evening, will it be considered employment or not?”
Chidambaram’s jibe against the government soon became a ground of contention between BJP and Congress, with the former accusing the latter of “insulting poor and aspirational Indians” because “comparing livelihood means of millions of hard-working Indians from humble backgrounds to begging betrays Congress party’s perpetual disdain for the poor.”
Chidambaram later defended his remarks on Twitter by asking BJP not to deflect the issue. He said selling ‘pakodas’ certainly is honourable, but poor people aspire for regular and secure jobs, instead. He questioned the government over the number of regular jobs that were created in the last three years under it.