Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the poor and the middle classes in India were faced with a double whammy of inflation and rising unemployment.
NEW DELHI: Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “Mehngaai-Man,” the Congress on Tuesday lashed out at the BJP government for its “failure to curb the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities”.
Addressing the media in the capital, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the poor and the middle classes in India were faced with a double whammy. On one side, they have to face backbreaking inflation and on the other, there is a rise in unemployment, she said.
“Unemployment rate was the highest right now. Till now, we had heard of Superman, the Spiderman and the He-Man and now we have the Mehngaai-Man,” said Shrinate. Prices of vegetables like tomatoes, which were selling between Rs 10 and Rs 15 per kg just a month ago are now selling for Rs 100 to Rs 150 per kg, she said.
She asked the government to immediately reduce the excise duty on fuel. “Ruthless taxation leads to additional cost of transportation that eventually ends up in a rise in the prices of essential commodities like vegetables. The burden is passed on to the common man,” said Shrinate.
Comparing the prices of essential commodities prevailing now with those prevailing during the UPA government, Shrinate said that atta (flour) prices have risen by 46 per cent since 2013, while that of rice had increased by 25 per cent. She explained how the price of Urad dal has also risen.
Meanwhile, All India Mahila Congress activists, led by acting president Netta D’souza, staged a flash protest in front of the BJP office. The party alleged that protestors were brutally assaulted and manhandled by the Delhi Police.
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