MP CM Kamal Nath defends jobs-for-locals comment, points to Gujarat

Kamal Nath had made a controversial statement on Madhya Pradesh's "youth" losing jobs to migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Wednesday defended his controversial statement on Madhya Pradesh’s “youth” losing jobs to migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, saying states routinely favour their people in employment.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and the Janata Dal (United) or JD (U) had protested when Nath made the comment after being sworn in as Madhya Pradesh chief minister on Monday. The RJD is the main opposition party in Bihar and the JD (U) governs the state as part of an alliance.

"Such policy exists in other states also. Is it not there in Gujarat? What is new in it?" said Nath after a meeting at the police headquarters in Bhopal.

He announced a new state policy under which industries availing investment incentives will have to give 70 per cent employment to young residents of the state. "Lot of industries are set up in which people from other states, like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, come to work. I do not want to criticise them, but the youth of Madhya Pradesh are deprived (of jobs)".

"So those who want to come here and take advantage of the investment policies will have to give employment to 70 per cent locals of Madhya Pradesh. I have already signed on the file in this regard", he had said soon after being sworn in as the state's new chief minister.

BJP-ruled Gujarat had witnessed protests against migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in October this year.