Cong tells govt to bring 'white paper' on inflation
New Delhi: Hitting out at the government over rise in fuel prices and other essential commodities, the Congress on Saturday said that the Centre should bring a 'white paper' to tell the people of the country about its strategy to control inflation.
In a tweet, former party president Rahul Gandhi said, "Forget depositing Rs 15 lakh to your bank accounts, PM Modi's 'masterstrokes' have demolished your hard-earned savings as the inflation rate is 6.95 per cent and the interest rate on FD is 5 per cent."
Later in the day, while addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "The cost of running the house has increased by 44 per cent in the last two years. If we look at the figures for the last eight years, the prices of many essential commodities have increased more than the price of petrol."
"The price of petrol has increased by 31.3 per cent from January 2014 to March 2022. During the same period, the price of milk has increased by 40 per cent, while the price of ghee has increased by 38 per cent and the price of mustard oil increased by 96 per cent. The prices of pulses have also increased by about 48 per cent," the Congress leader said.
Shrinate further said, "People are not being harassed only by inflation, but people's deposits are being robbed. Today every person in the country has a debt of Rs 46,000."
"What effective steps are being taken by the government to check inflation? Does the government know that due to inflation, malnutrition and hunger are increasing in the country," the Congress leader asked.
She also urged the government to take concrete steps to control inflation without wasting any time. "Reduce the price of petrol, diesel and LPG. Issue a 'white paper' on economy and inflation and tell people what strategy it has to control inflation," she said.
In response to a question related to a statement of former Reserve Bank governor Raghuram Rajan, Shrinate said, "Due to the rise in the incidents of hatred and violence, the investors are not feeling safe to invest in India. The image of the country is being tarnished by the BJP-led government."
