New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday criticised the Centre after official data showed retail inflation rose to 4.38% in June, saying higher prices have hurt household budgets during the BJP-led government’s 12 years and asking when Prime Minister Narendra Modi would respond to the concerns of ordinary people.
The party’s criticism came a day after government figures showed retail inflation rose to 4.38% from 3.93% in May, driven mainly by higher food prices, as reported by The New Indian Express. The increase pushed inflation above the Reserve Bank of India’s 4% medium-term target for the first time under the revised Consumer Price Index series, which uses 2024 as the base year.
In a Hindi post on X, Con
gress general secretary Jairam Ramesh wrote: “Modi sarkaar ke 12 saal ka ye hi hai asli saar: jhoonte vaadon ki bahaar aur janta par mehngaai aur berozgaari ka kroorh vaar!” (The true essence of the Modi government’s 12 years: a flood of false promises and a cruel blow to the public in the form of inflation and unemployment!)
He said rising prices over the past 12 years have strained family budgets, noting that government data showed retail inflation hit a 17-month high in June and that rural inflation stood at 4.74%.
Ramesh also said worries over higher bank lending rates could add pressure on the middle class by raising EMIs on home and auto loans. He questioned why corporate profits rise while common people bear the burden, asking, “When will Prime Minister Modi, the patron of capitalists, speak about the pain of the common people?”
Data from the National Statistics Office showed CPI-based inflation rose to 4.38% in June from 3.93% in May, while food inflation increased to 5.32% from 4.78%. The NSO said the biggest price rises were seen in silver, gold, diamond and platinum jewellery, ginger, tomato, and raisins and munakka. Items with the lowest inflation or declines included potato, peas, motor cars and jeeps, cumin, and motorcycles and scooters.
The NSO data also showed rural inflation at 4.74%, compared with 3.92% in urban areas.