The Congress on Friday (October 2, 2026) accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being insensitive to the burden of rising food prices on households , with party’s communication chief Jairam Ramesh describing him as the pravachan mantri (sermonising minister).
Mr.
Ramesh shared a media report on X which said household kitchen budgets had increased by 20% to 25% over the past three months and asked when people would get relief from “back-breaking inflation”. “Inflation isn’t just rising in statistics; its pain is being felt in the kitchens of every middle-class and poor household,” he said in a post in Hindi, alleging that kitchen budget had risen by up to 25% in three months and that too during the festival season.
The insensitivity of the pravachan mantri (sermonising minister) knows no bounds”. The government, however, has dismissed the Opposition’s claims and pointed to the strength of the economy, including the latest GDP numbers. He also cited government data to say food inflation stood at 5.95% in August, while onion, ginger and garlic prices had risen by 48.27%, 73.82% and 43.60%, respectively.
“Lentils, spices, vegetables, oil… inflation is hitting everywhere,” Mr. Ramesh said, adding that declining household savings and rising debt were adding to the pressure on families. “For the government, these may be just numbers, but for the public, it’s a household budget unravelling every month,” Mr. Ramesh said, adding, “When will the people of the country get relief from this back-breaking inflation? The Congress has been flagging rising prices and accusing the government of pursuing “anti-people” policies.
