Congress Urges PM Modi to Address Inflation Instead of Focusing on Mann Ki Baat
Jairam Ramesh cites increases in vegetable, pulse and dry fruit prices ahead of Diwali, alleging that inflation is putting additional pressure on household budgets.
NEW DELHI, October 26: The Congress on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising food prices ahead of Diwali, urging him to prioritise the economic concerns of ordinary citizens instead of focusing on his monthly radio programme, Mann Ki Baat.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh shared media reports on social media highlighting increases in the prices of essential food items and dry fruits. One report, citing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), said that rising food costs were adding to household expenditure.
Another report pointed to higher prices of almonds, pistachios, cashews and cardamom in the run-up to the festival, when demand for dry fruits and other food products typically increases.
In a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh said government data showed that inflation continued to affect consumers, raising concerns about the ability of families to manage routine expenses while preparing for festive celebrations.
He questioned whether ordinary households could afford to celebrate festivals comfortably or would instead have to focus on balancing their budgets amid increasing costs.
Citing price movements over the preceding four months, Ramesh claimed that onion prices had risen by 85 per cent and sugar prices by 34 per cent. He also pointed to increases in the prices of tomatoes, arhar dal and chana dal over the previous month, reporting rises of 8.5 per cent, 3.5 per cent and 3.1 per cent, respectively.
The Congress leader further claimed that almonds were selling at around Rs 1,300 per kg, while green cardamom prices had increased by Rs 300. These figures were cited by Ramesh while criticising the government’s handling of inflation.
Targeting the prime minister, he alleged that the government highlighted economic growth figures but did not adequately address the difficulties faced by households dealing with higher living costs.
Ramesh also argued that inflation-adjusted incomes had stagnated or declined over the past decade, making it harder for many families to absorb increases in the prices of essential goods.
“Prime Minister, set aside your ‘Mann Ki Baat’, and focus instead on the concerns of the public,” he said.
The Congress has repeatedly raised the issue of price increases, accusing the government of pursuing policies that place an excessive burden on ordinary citizens. The party has argued that economic growth figures should be accompanied by improvements in household purchasing power and living standards.
The government, meanwhile, has rejected the opposition’s criticism and highlighted India’s gross domestic product (GDP) performance as evidence of economic resilience.
With Diwali approaching, the debate over food prices has renewed political attention on the cost of living, household spending and the impact of inflation on consumers. For families preparing for the festival, changes in the prices of vegetables, pulses, sugar and dry fruits remain an important consideration when planning their expenditure.
