Congress leader Shobha Oza on Monday alleged inflation and unemployment were rising in the country due to wrong policies of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
”People are saying now ‘bahut hui mehangai ki maar, palat do modi sarkar’ (inflation is too much, remove the Modi govt),” Oza told reporters.
She said the BJP leaders including the Prime Minister, who were vocal on issues like inflation before 2014, have now adopted a ”complete silence” for the past eight years.
Oza said petrol, diesel, CNG, food and prices of other essential commodities are beyond common man’s reach.
”Even the humble ‘daal-roti’ has become dearer, with prices of pulses, flour, salt too witnessing a sharp increase. Now, GST has been imposed on virtually all items consumed by common people. Even items like milk, curd, medicines, pencil, sharpener have not been spared,” she said.
Oza said that during Congress-led UPA’s time, cooking gas cylinder which used to cost Rs 410 in 2014, now costs Rs 1,053.
”Petrol which was around Rs 70 per litre now hovers above Rs 100 per litre while diesel has gone up from Rs 57 to Rs 95 per litre now. Cooking oil prices have more than doubled from Rs 90 per litre to Rs 200 per litre, flour which used to cost around Rs 20 per kg is now selling in the range of Rs 35-40 per kg, milk prices have doubled from Rs 30 per litre to Rs 60 while there has been a 35 per cent increase in vegetable prices,” the Congress leader said.
”Because of good economic policies pursued by the previous UPA regime, 27 crore people were pulled out of poverty, but during the BJP led government’s tenure, 23 crore Indians have been pushed below the poverty line,” she alleged.
Oza said while on one hand prices have risen sharply, on the other hand unemployment has increased manifold. ”Narendra Modi had promised that if BJP comes to power at the Centre, his government will give 2 crore jobs every year. But 14 crore are unemployed now and between 20-24 years age group, 42 per cent are unemployed. Without thinking they did demonetisation, which resulted in shutting of 2.30 lakh small units,” she alleged.
”PSUs are being sold to their own favourites; this is not government of the poor, but a government of the capitalists. They waived Rs 11 lakh crore of capitalists,” she said.
Oza said the Congress party has been raising these and other issues concerning common people from streets to the Parliament.
She said that her party is holding a ‘Halla Bol Maharally’ to be held at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on September 4 against rising inflation and unemployment.
