Economic Slowdown, Unemployment Due To Rising Population In India: Congress' Jitin Prasada

Amid reports of deteriorating economic condition, Congress leader Jitin Prasada on Sunday blamed India's rising population for the sinking economy and rising unemployment in the country. Prasada said population was responsible for environment change, water crisis and pressure on natural resources all over the country.

Giving a clarion call to restrict the country's population, the former MoS said, "There should be a nationwide discussion on population control, a law should be made for the same". "If country has to move forward, concrete steps have to be taken. I demand the government that whatever laws have to be brought in on this issue, should be brought in," Prasada added.

J Prasada:Economy is sinking,unemployment is rising. It happened because population wasn't controlled. Effect on environment,water crisis,pressure on natural resources is due to rise in India's population.On issues of national interest, we should rise above politics&work together https://t.co/b7NRzSmOGb

— ANI (@ANI) September 1, 2019

READ | Put Aside Vendetta Politics, State Of Economy Deeply Worrying: Manmohan Singh To Modi Govt

The Congress leader's statement comes hours after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged the government to put aside "vendetta politics" and reach out to sane voices and thinking minds to steer the economy out of this "man-made crisis".

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit back, asking if Singh was saying that Congress should consult sane voices instead of indulging in political vendetta.

Asked if India is witnessing an economic slowdown in real, "I am meeting industries and taking their inputs, suggestions on what they would want and expect from govt, I'm responding to them. I have already done this twice. I will do it more number of times".

READ | Govt Alive To The Situation, Taking Possible Measures, Says CEA Subramanian On GDP Slowdown

India on Friday reported a slow GDP growth rate of 5 per cent for the first quarter of this fiscal. Sharp deceleration in manufacturing output and subdued farm sector activity pulled down India's gross domestic product (GDP) growth to over six-year low of 5 per cent in the April-June quarter of 2019-20.