Peacocks and protests: Rahul Gandhi links unemployment to 'vote chori'; takes video jibe at PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Sharing a split-screen video showing police lathi-charging students protesting for jobs on one half, and Prime Minister Modi feeding peacocks, doing yoga on the other, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday linked rising unemployment and corruption to what he called " vote theft ".

He said youth will no longer tolerate "job theft" or "vote theft," arguing that the government’s priorities are skewed away from youth employment toward image management and corporate interests.

In a post on X in Hindi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said unemployment is the biggest problem facing youth in India and is directly linked to "vote chori."

"When a government wins public trust and comes to power, its first duty is to provide employment and opportunities to the youth," he said.

भारत में युवाओं की सबसे बड़ी समस्या बेरोज़गारी है - और इसका सीधा रिश्ता वोट चोरी से है।

जब कोई सरकार जनता का विश्वास जीतकर सत्ता में आती है, तो उसका पहला कर्तव्य होता है युवाओं को रोज़गार और अवसर देना।

लेकिन BJP चुनाव ईमानदारी से नहीं जीतती - वो वोट चोरी और संस्थाओं को कैद कर… pic.twitter.com/DlDmdYOl5i

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 23, 2025

"But the BJP doesn't win elections honestly -- they stay in power by stealing votes and controlling institutions," Gandhi alleged.

He said this is why unemployment has reached a 45-year high.

"That's why jobs are declining, recruitment processes have collapsed, and the future of youth is being jeopardised. That's why every exam paper leak and every recruitment is linked to stories of corruption," Gandhi said.

"The country's youth work hard, dream, and fight for their future. But (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is solely focused on his PR, getting celebrities to sing praises for him, and billionaire profits. It has become the government's identity to shatter the hopes of the youth and leave them frustrated," he added.

"Now, the situation is changing. India's youth understand that the real fight isn't just for jobs, but against vote theft. Because as long as elections are stolen, unemployment and corruption will continue to rise," he said.

Gandhi said young people will no longer tolerate "job theft" or "vote theft."

"The ultimate patriotism now lies in freeing India from unemployment and vote theft," he said.

The former Congress president has been repeatedly alleging large scale systematic electoral fraud, claiming that votes of Opposition parties have been specifically targeted. He has said that soon he will release a "hydrogen bomb" of evidence which will unequivocally prove that PM Modi indulged in alleged vote theft.