CHENNAI: Former union finance minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said that the real achievement of the ten-year reign of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was price rise and unemployment.

Campaigning for DMK candidate Thamizhachi Thangapandian in Mylapore, Chidambaram said that the poor and middle class people of the country were deeply affected by inflation and unemployment.

Referring to the India Employment Report 2024 released by ILO ten days ago, Chidambaram said the percentage of unemployed youths has doubled in India in the last ten years and youths account for 83% of the total unemployed people in the country.

A media report today says that about 30% of students of IIT are unemployed, he added, accusing Modi of not answering questions pertaining to his poll promises, mainly doubling of farmers income and depositing Rs 15 lakh in each Indian account.

"Has any promise been fulfilled. Modi doesn't talk about price rise and inflation. What scheme has he implemented for the people of the country. The outcome of Narendra Modi's ten year rule is price rise and unemployment. Now he's seeking a theory term to take India to the global standards, " Chidambaram said.

"What global standard is he talking about. In a country of 140 crore people, even a nominal growth of 4 to 5 % will increase the GDP. When UPA formed government in 2004, we were 12th in terms of economy. At the end of UPA tenure we reached 7th position. Now it has reached 5th in their reign. It's an arithmetic inevitability. Per capital income would only decide the richest and poorest country. We still remain at 120 in terms of per capita income. Ten years have been wasted, " Chidambaram added.