Congress Leaders Launch Scathing Attack on Centre Over Soaring Prices
In a strongly worded joint press conference held at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Congress state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala launched a fierce critique of the central government. The leaders accused the Modi administration of imposing a "price-rise war on ordinary people" through soaring costs of essential commodities and alleged rollbacks of crucial welfare benefits.
Shivakumar Highlights Citizen Suffering and LPG Crisis
Shivakumar stated that citizens are "suffering due to rising prices," attributing the economic strain to government policy mistakes and international conflicts that have placed unbearable pressure on household budgets. He detailed specific grievances, including severe shortages in LPG supply, unreliable electricity services, increasing dependence on firewood for cooking, and a significant Rs 60 hike in cylinder prices that has hit consumers hard.
Targeting the Centre's Ujjwala LPG scheme directly, Shivakumar remarked, "Ujjwala is gone, and they have started the firewood scheme. People now depend on firewood instead of gas. Power and railway fares have also increased dramatically." This statement underscored what he described as a regression in living standards for millions of Indians who previously benefited from subsidized cooking gas.
Allegations of 'Brazen Loot' and Contrasting Models
The Deputy CM made explosive allegations against the central government, claiming that the Modi administration has collected a staggering Rs 43 lakh crore in petroleum taxes over the past 11 years. He termed this collection "brazen loot" and asserted that these funds have directly contributed to the high prices burdening consumers across the nation.
In sharp contrast, Shivakumar presented the Congress-led Karnataka government's welfare measures as a compassionate alternative. "Through our five guarantee schemes, we are directly supporting citizens. The Centre blames wars for inflation, but our programmes help people cope with rising costs," he asserted confidently. He revealed that Karnataka's Congress model allocates Rs 1,18,000 crore for direct benefits to citizens, positioning it as a protective shield against what he called "BJP-led inflation."
Shivakumar summarized the political divide by stating, "Two models exist: Karnataka's guarantees transfer Rs 1,18,000 crore directly to people to protect them from BJP-led inflation, while the Modi government continues to extract taxes and hike prices, looting citizens." This framing positioned the state government as actively combating economic hardship while accusing the Centre of exacerbating it.
Rahul Gandhi's Parallel Criticism of Economic Management
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, amplified the criticism on Monday through a pointed social media post targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi highlighted multiple economic indicators showing distress, including the rupee's depreciation, stock market crashes, widespread job losses, and general economic hardships facing the population.
In his post, Gandhi wrote concisely, "Rupee: Rs 95 + 100 Stocks: Crashing Economy: Collapsed Jobs: Gone Income: Falling Savings: Wiped out Cylinders: Unavailable. Why? PM Compromised." He added a broader indictment, claiming that the Prime Minister is "desperate to protect himself and his financial structure, but 140 crore Indians know India's future has been surrendered."
This coordinated criticism from multiple senior Congress leaders represents a significant political offensive against the ruling BJP government, focusing on economic issues that directly affect daily life. The allegations of welfare scheme failures, tax exploitation, and poor economic management form a comprehensive attack ahead of upcoming political battles.
