Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. File
| Photo Credit: ANI
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday (December 23, 2024) urged the Modi government to not do further “injustice” to farmers by pursuing “anti-farmer policies”.
On the occasion of former Prime Minister Charan Singh’s birth anniversary, which is celebrated as Kisan Divas, Mr. Kharge hailed farmers as the people who make India, describing them as “the pride of India”.
“Warm wishes to all farmer sisters and brothers and farm labourers on Kisan Diwas. Respectful tributes to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh ji, who fought for the farmers of the country, on his birth anniversary,” Mr. Kharge said in a post on social media platform X. “It is hoped that the Modi government will not do further injustice to our farmers through its stubbornness and anti-farmer policies and will implement its old promises,” he added.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also greeted farmers on Kisan Diwas. “Respectful salute to all the food providers of the country, whose hard work makes our country prosperous. We are grateful for this great contribution of the farmers and are always ready to protect their rights and respect,” Mr. Gandhi said in a post on X.
In a separate message, the Congress also targeted the government on high inflation, and alleged that retail prices had broken the back of the common man. “The bullet train announced by the Modi government has not arrived, but inflation, which is running faster than bullet train, has broken the back of the common man,” the party’s communication chief Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
Mr. Ramesh said the people wanted answers not more jumlabaazi (rhetoric), and shared shared a media report which claimed that the rates of daily essential goods were increasing day by day, and in the last one year, the prices of flour, oil, spices and dry fruits had increased by one-and-a-half to two times.
“Inflation has doubled and tripled in the last ten and a half years. Vegetables, flour, oil, spices and everyday items are becoming out of the reach of the common person. Everything is getting costlier under the rule of Modi government which came to power by raising the slogan of ‘Bahut hui mehngaai ki maar’,” he said.
“From potatoes to tomatoes, milk, spices and even cooking oil have now become like a dream for the common person. Are these the same ‘achche din’ that were promised? No more jumlabaazi! The public wants answers,” Mr. Ramesh said.
Published – December 23, 2024 03:59 pm IST