Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slams govt over 'rising' prices of food items before Diwali

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Pic/PTI

Hitting out at the Centre, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said the government must answer as to how will one celebrate Diwali when prices of food items are "skyrocketing" just a week before the festival. The Congress general secretary raised concern over prices of onions, sugar and pulses, reported news agency PTI.

Diwali is a week away, but the prices of food items are "skyrocketing", she said in a post in Hindi on X.

"The price of onion has suddenly started increasing at a fast pace, while India is the second largest onion-producing country. Last year, our farmer brothers produced 31 lakh metric tonnes of onion. Where is that? In the warehouse of that big businessman? Or did it rot in the government warehouse due to negligence?" Priyanka Gandhi said.

"On the other hand, apart from sugar, arhar and urad pulses are also out of reach of citizens. What will one eat and what will one offer to others? How will one celebrate the happiness of a festival? The government should answer," she said.

The Congress has been attacking the government over its handling of the economy and raising concerns over "increasing" unemployment and price rise.

Targeting the Centre over the prices of essential items "skyrocketing", the opposition party earlier this week had said the people are ready for a change in 2024 elections and asserted that an I-N-D-I-A bloc government will immediately change the policies that are increasing inflation.

Earlier, the Congress alleged that the Modi government has "failed" to control rising prices and asserted that the anger of the people troubled by inflation will be clearly visible in the results of the upcoming elections.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh cited a media report on the rising prices of onions and garlic.

In a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh said inflation is continuously increasing and it has become difficult for common and poor people to live.

The Narendra Modi government came to power with the promise of reducing inflation but it has completely failed to control it in the last nine-and-a-half years, he said.

"To hide its (government's) failure, it is trying to divert people's attention," Ramesh alleged.

But people are seeing and understanding everything, he added.

"The anger of the people troubled by inflation will be clearly visible in the results of the upcoming election," Ramesh said.

(With inputs from PTI)