New Delhi: The Congress on Monday stepped up its criticism of the central government over rising prices of essential food items. Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to inflation and referred to the popular 1977 Bollywood song “Kya Hua Tera Vada”.
Ramesh shared a report on social media highlighting higher prices of food items, pulses and cooking oils. He said the increase was putting additional pressure on household budgets, particularly for middle-class and poorer families.
According to figures cited by Ramesh, prices of several spices increased by 10 to 25 per cent over the past month. He said green cardamom rose from Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,400 per kg, while black cardamom increased from Rs 2,400 to Rs 2,800. Cumin and mace prices also recorded increases.
Ramesh also cited increases in pulses and cooking oils, including arhar dal, chana dal and mustard oil. He claimed that the average retail price of onions rose from Rs 29.50 per kg in June to Rs 53.78 in September, an increase of 82.3 per cent.
The Congress urged the government to take measures to contain inflation and provide relief to consumers. The government has rejected such criticism and pointed to India’s GDP growth while defending its economic record.
