Congress General Secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi on Friday said the Bharatiya Janata Party government’s silence on job losses was dangerous.

Citing a media report, Gandhi claimed that jobs of 10 lakh people in the auto sector were in danger. “People working in this sector will have to search for new job avenues,” she tweeted. “The silence of the BJP government on job losses, weakening trade and policies damaging the economy is most dangerous.”

Her remarks came a day after industry body Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India said around 10 lakh jobs could be at stake if the prolonged slowdown in the automobile industry continued, PTI reported.

“Considering the fact that the auto component industry grows on the back of the vehicle industry, a current 15-20 per cent cut in vehicle production has led to a crisis-like situation,” said the association’s President Ram Venkataramani. “If the trend continues, the layoffs are inevitable and an an estimated 10 lakh people could be laid off”.

The industry body sought a uniform Goods and Services Tax of 18% for the sector in order to reverse declining sales. Earlier this month, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers said the automobile industry continued to experience a downturn in the first quarter of 2019-’20, recording a decline of 10.53%.