Congress national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party government over galloping inflation and claimed that the common man was now finding it hard to have two square meals as the prices of all essentials had increased manifold during the last few years of BJP’s rule but the government had no concern about the masses and was busy forwarding all profits to their select few industrialist friends.
Addressing media persons at the UP Congress headquarters in Lucknow on Monday, Surjewala said that the income of the people had decreased and they were suffering due to inflation.
"The cost of a cooking gas cylinder has rocketed to above Rs 1,000, petrol is being sold at Rs 100 per litre and edible oil is close to Rs 200 a litre. Flour, ration, pulses and other essentials have been adversely impacted by inflation. The cost of everything has doubled; dal, gram, rajma, tomato, everything is getting away from people's plates," he said.
The Congress leader further said, “In Uttar Pradesh, while holes are being burnt in the pockets of the common man, the BJP's property has been increasing. The assets of the BJP have increased from Rs 780 crore to Rs 4,850 crore in the last seven years. The basic mantra of the BJP is to nurture the capitalists and loot the income of farmers, the employed and the middle class.”
Surjewala said that the biggest mode of transport for the poor was the railways as every day 2.5 crore people of the country travelled by trains. He said during Congress rule at the Centre, rail fare was 32 paise per kilometre and it had spiked to Re 1.10 per kilometre, thus recording a hike of 343 per cent. He said the price of the platform ticket, which was Rs 2 before 2014, had been increased to Rs 10 and later Rs 20. He said under the Kisan Samman Nidhi, the government was paying Rs 6,000 to each farmer’s family, but the same government was taking away Rs 23 per litre on diesel.
On the question of giving a ticket to Khushi Dubey's mother, Surjewala said that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was very serious about her contesting election.
"The Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party and BJP might be thinking they will do well in the election, but I am sure Congress will do very well," he added.