Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday criticized the government, accusing it of being indifferent to the struggles of the common people facing skyrocketing prices. He likened the government to the mythical ‘Kumbhakaran’ for its inaction.
Gandhi shared a video on social media from his recent visit to a vegetable market in Giri Nagar, where he interacted with housewives who described how inflation has forced them to make daily compromises.
“Recently, I visited a local vegetable market, shopped alongside customers, and spoke to vendors to understand how rising inflation is straining the budgets of ordinary people,” Gandhi said in his post.
“People are grappling with soaring prices and are being compelled to cut back on even the smallest daily needs,” the former Congress president remarked in Hindi.
He shared details from his discussions about the prices of garlic, peas, mushrooms, and other vegetables, highlighting how garlic at ₹400 per kg and peas at ₹120 per kg have disrupted household budgets.
“What will people eat, and what will they save?” he questioned.
While chatting over tea, Gandhi said he heard firsthand how stagnant incomes and uncontrolled inflation have made saving impossible. Housewives shared that even arranging ₹10 for a rickshaw fare has become challenging due to food expenses.
Gandhi invited others to share their stories of coping with inflation, saying, “Tell us how you are managing this crisis. Share your personal experiences with us about the condition of the market.”
In a post on X, he remarked, “‘Garlic was once ₹40, today it is ₹400!’ Rising inflation has wrecked the common person’s kitchen budget while the government sleeps like Kumbhakaran!”
The accompanying five-minute video shows Gandhi walking through the market, assisting housewives as they bargain with vendors. They candidly discuss cutting down on vegetables they can no longer afford and the disparity between stagnant wages and increasing costs.
On Monday, the Congress took a dig at the Modi government, criticizing it for escalating prices of essential items. The party compared inflation to a “bullet train,” claiming it has broken the backbone of the common person faster than any promised high-speed train could arrive.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh emphasized that people need solutions, not “jumlabaazi (empty rhetoric).”
Citing a media report, Ramesh said prices of essentials like flour, oil, spices, and dry fruits have surged by 1.5 to 2 times over the past year.
“The Modi government’s bullet train remains a distant promise, but inflation is racing like a bullet train, crushing the common person,” Ramesh said in his Hindi post on X.
The Congress has consistently criticized the government over its economic policies, raising alarms about rising unemployment and inflation.