BJP government should explain why they made people cry due to uncontrolled price rise and unemployment—Delhi Congress

Why did the BJP Government impose GST on food items when no government has ever imposed -Dr Ragini Nayak

Despite
the skyrocketing prices of vegetables, the plight of the farmer is
pathethetic, who is on the verge of suicide—Delhi Congress

NEW
DELHI, May 16, 2024---Congress spokesperson Dr Ragini Nayak said that
price rise, inflation and unemployment have wrecked the lives of the
people, but BJP Government, sitting on the shining throne of power,
seems to be least concerned about the plight of the people, other than
indulging in political rhetoric.

Addressing
a press conference at the DPCC office, Rajiv Bhawan here today, Dr
Ragini Nayak said that on the one hand, PM Modi indulges in political
gimmics by calling the harassed and anguished women in the country as
“sisters and daughters and 'laadli' (darlings)”, and on the other
hand, the BJP makes fun of sisters and daughters as they bear the
brunt of inflation and the wrong economic policies of the BJP
Government. She said that if less food is prepared in the house due to
compelling circumstances, then it is the woman of the house who eats
less food, without vegetables, as her primary responsibility is to fill
the stomach of her family members first. She said that the tears of
the sisters and daughters of the country do not impact the BJP
Government, as their autocratic government holds no room for care and
consideration for the welfare of the poor, the downtrodden, the under
privileges and common people.

Dr
Ragini Nayak said that during the Congress-led UPA Government at the
Centre, the BJP used to call inflation as 'witch', but under the BJP
Government when prices of all items have soared, petrol-diesel, cooking
gas, water shortage, lack of toilet facilities have made the lives of
the people miserable. Modi ji calls it 'Acche Din' and 'Amrit Kaal'. She
said that when Congress was in power at the Centre, people could buy
bags full of goods with very little money, but under the BJP rule, very
little goods can be bought with vallet full of cash. She said that BJP
had promised to teach China a lesson, now bring tears into the eyes of
the people when they buy a kg of tomato, as the vegetable costs an
astronomical of Rs 250 per kg, Rs 80-100 for a kg of onion etc.

Dr
Ragini Nayak said that the country's Finance Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman had distanced herself from the rising onion prices by saying
that "I don't eat onions", and if onions are expensive then people
should stop eating them! She said that if the same yardstick was applied
on petrol-diesel, then people would have to travel back in time by
several decades and start travelling in bullock carts. She said that if
LPG cylinder costs Rs 1100 per cylinder, then people should revert back
to kerosene stoves for cooking foods. She said that if 2 crore jobs
prove to be a “jhumla”, then young people will start frying pakoras with
drain gas, though even for frying pakodas, cooking oil costs Rs 240
per litre, and BJP did not leave the youth worthy of fying even
pakodas! She said that Modi ji was talking about ‘Mangalsutra’
recently, when gold price has soared to Rs 75,000 per gram. BJP has got
so many mothers and sisters get ‘Mangalsutras’ made, but who who is
snatching those ‘Mangalsutra’ from them?

Dr
Ragini Nayak said that the country was staring at the highest
inflation in 35 years; unemployment is the highest in 45 years; rupee
has suffered the biggest fall in 75 years; who were responsible for the
present plight of the country, though Modi Ji has been in power for the
past 10 years?. Smriti Irani, who used to find a Rs 400 cooking gas
cylinder and Rs 70 per litre of petrol expensive during the Congress
tenure, is today sitting with a sour taste in her mouth over the Rs
1100 cost of a cooking gas cylinder and sharp rise in the prices of
petrol and diesel in Delhi.

Dr
Ragini Nayak said that the BJP Government has imposed GST on everything
from food items like milk, curd, cheese, buttermilk to everyday
essentials. Ironically, there is 5% GST on hospital beds and 1.5% on
diamonds. In the last 7-8 years, the BJP government waived off loans
worth Rs 16 lakh crore of the capitalists. About Rs 1.5 lakh crore tax
cut was made for the corporate sector. And Rs 27.5 lakh crore was
collected from the general public as fuel tax, yet the BJP Government
was talking about people’s welfare and making India a “Viksit Rajya”.

She
said that wealth of BJP leaders friendly capitalists has increased by
Rs 30 lakh crore, while the income of 8 out of every 10 families in the
country has decreased. CSDS - Lokniti conducted a survey in Delhi and
found that the income of 84% of the poor in Delhi is not enough to meet
their needs. 75% of the poor admitted that the prices of essential food
items, gas and electricity have increased. 9 out of 10 people believed
that inflation has increased a lot in the last 2 years. 6 out of 10
people admitted that the cost of health and house rent has increased.

Dr
Ragini Nayak said that in May 2014, when the price of crude oil in the
international market was around 107$ per barrel, before the UPA
government left, petrol in Delhi was around Rs 72 a liter, now it is Rs
95 a litre. Same was the case with diesel also. In May 2014 thr price
was around Rs 55 a litre and now it is around Rs 88 a litre. The rate
of CNG in Delhi was also around 38₹ per kg in May 2014 and reached 74₹
per kg in May 2024.

She
said that a perusal of the data of the Department of Consumer Affairs
from May 2014 to May 2024 shows that the price of chicken and fish in
Delhi has increased by 95 percent; milk price has increased by about 50
percent, ghee by about 38 percent, wheat and flour, which are consumed
in every household, have increased by 45 percent, mustard oil price has
increased by about 38 percent, there has been an increase of about 50
percent in refined oil prices. 25 percent increase in peanut oil, 127
percent in the prices of arhar-toor dal and 101 percent increase in urad
dal.

Dr
Ragini Nayak said that the prices of vegetables, including onion, has
increased by 54 percent, brinjal by 56 percent, potatoes by 22
percent, tomatoes by 100 percent, spinach and other greens have
increased by 41 percent and other vegetables by 51 percent. This is also
more than the 31.23 percent increase of petrol.

The
cost of hospital treatment has increased by 71.6 percent and medicines
have increased by about 55 percent in the last 8 years. If you eat food
from outside, at a cart, kiosk or hotel, the expenditure has increased
by about 55 percent. Bus fare has increased by about 54 percent. Tuition
fees, everyone knows that during the pandemic and due to economic
recession, middle class families faced the most difficulty in paying the
tuition fees of their children, as it has increased by 51 percent.
House rent has increased by 46 percent.

Along
with inflation, the public is facing a double blow due to closure of
business and lack of jobs. As I said, we faced the highest unemployment
in 45 years during Modi ji's tenure. During Corona, 12 crore jobs were
lost in just one month (April 2020). Thousands of start-ups were shut
down. And the Modi government continued to make a profit of Rs 52 crore
even after death. The reality is that today 42% of the youth in the age
group of 20 to 24 are unemployed.

Not
only this, due to inflation, cases of both malnutrition and
starvation are increasing in India. By releasing the Malnutrition
Index, the government itself tells how malnutrition is increasing among
the people and India has reached 111th position in the Global Hunger
Index, that is, reaching below Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan and
becoming a 'world leader' in 'hunger'. This is the situation when Modi
government is allegedly giving 5 kg free ration to 80 crore people. So,
in whose warehouses does this ration remain and which rich merchant
fills their bellies, is a question in itself. Yesterday a video went
viral. There is a video from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, in which a Dalit
watchman named Virendra Kumar is being beaten by two policemen outside
the voting center by saying that he will eat free ration from BJP and
will not vote. I want to know how this ration of BJP happened? Is Modi
ji giving this ration by selling land and property?

To end the 10-year long 'injustice period' of the Modi government, Congress has come up with its 'Nyay Patra'.

Gandhiji's teachings - Congress has come up with its 'Nyaya Patra' to wipe the tears of the last person standing in the queue.

To provide relief from the double whammy of inflation and unemployment, Congress has come up with its 'Nyay Patra'.

Under
the ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme, we will give Rs 1 lakh annually to every
woman from a poor family. As soon as the Congress and INDIA coalition
government is formed, an amount of ₹ 8500 will reach the accounts of our
sisters, daughters and mothers from July 1, 2024.

To
provide full rights to half the population, women will get 50 percent
reservation in new recruitments of the Central Government. While
'honoring the power', the Central Government's contribution towards
mid-day meal and salaries of our Anganwadi sisters will be doubled.

By
giving 'Bharti Bharosa' we will immediately fill 30 lakh vacant
government posts and provide jobs. Through 'Pehli Naukri Pakki', every
educated youth will be given Rs 1 lakh annually through apprenticeship.
Will give legal status to MSP for farmer brothers. While 'respecting
labour', we will increase the national minimum wage for labor brothers
to Rs 400 per day.

The Chief Reporter,