Get rid of BJP for relief from inflation: Surjewala

New Delhi: Hitting out at the BJP over price rise, Congress national general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday urged people to get rid of the ruling party for relief from inflation. While launching a booklet on inflation ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls in Lucknow, the Congress leader said that while crematorium, graveyard and gun culture are being raised, issues of unemployment and price rise remain untouched.

Surjewala, who is also the party's chief spokesperson, said that while inflation is on the rise, under the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP CM yogi Adityanath, assets of the BJP increased from Rs 780 crore to Rs 4,850 crore, a 550 per cent jump in the past seven years. Calling himself a farmer, Surjewala said, "This is the first government, which has imposed a tax on fertilisers, pesticides, tractors and farming implements. The governments of Narendra Modi and Ajay Singh Bisht (Adityanath's other name) have taken out Rs 17.50 lakh crore from the farmers' pocket."

Responding to another question, he said that even though inflation is an issue, it is not being raised by the BJP. "The fight of the Congress in this election is with inflation and unemployment," Surjewala said as he alleged that the PM and Adityanath have been looting people for the past seven and five years, respectively.