Government won’t be able to see inflation as it’s wearing ‘blindfolds of arrogance’: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that the government will not be able to see inflation as it is wearing the “blindfolds of arrogance” and selling the country’s property in “free fund” to friends.

A day after the debate on price rise in the Lok Sabha, the former Congress president put out posts on Twitter and Facebook to attack the government on the issue.

In an apparent reference to BJP leader Jayant Sinha asserting during the debate that the Opposition is looking for ‘mehngai” but has been unable to find it, Mr. Gandhi tweeted, “Well, how will they see inflation? Wearing blindfolds of arrogance, they are selling the country’s property in ‘free fund’ to ‘friends’.”

In his tweet in Hindi, Mr. Gandhi said the BJP-led government, busy celebrating ‘Amrit kaal’, said in the House that there is no ‘mehngai’ in the country.

He also shared a table comparing the prices of essential commodities from 2019 to 2022.

Mr. Gandhi’s remarks were also a dig at BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s comments during the debate. Speaking in Hindi, Mr. Dubey had said Prime Minister Modi gave “free fund” food to 80 crore poor even in adverse circumstances.

The country is battling an “epidemic of unemployment” with crores of families left with no means of a stable income but the government is spending billions just to polish the image of an “arrogant king”, Mr. Gandhi added in a lengthy Facebook post in Hindi.

He said the Congress had tried to get the government to answer the questions of the people during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament. However, everyone saw how Opposition MPs were suspended, arrested for protests and the House adjourned.

“Yesterday when the discussion did take place, the government clearly said that ‘there is no problem like inflation! “The country is battling an epidemic of unemployment, crores of families are left with no means of stable income. But the government is spending billions of rupees just to polish the image of an ‘arrogant king’,” Mr. Gandhi said, attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In the post addressed to the people of the country, the former Congress chief said, “Don’t consider yourself alone, the Congress is your voice, and you are Congress’ strength. We have to fight with every decree of the dictator, every attempt to suppress the voice of the people.”

“For you, the Congress party and myself have been fighting, and will continue to fight. You know very well which issues need to be discussed in the country today because every wrong policy of the government is affecting your life,” he said.

Mr. Gandhi said inflation and the “Gabbar Singh Tax” is a direct attack on the income of the common person.

Today’s reality is that the common person is struggling not just for his dreams but for his daily bread, he alleged.

“This government wants you to accept everything the dictator says without questioning. I assure you all, there is no need to be afraid of them and suffer dictatorship. They are cowards, afraid of your strength and unity and that is why they are constantly attacking it. If you face them unitedly, they will get scared,” Mr. Gandhi said.

“I promise you, we will neither be afraid nor let them scare you,” he added.

On Monday, Opposition members in the lower house blamed the BJP-led Central government’s policies for the price rise and accused it of ignoring the plight of common people. They said kitchens will soon “see a lockdown” if the Centre does not take corrective measures.

Replying to the debate on price rise on Monday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said India does not face any risk of either recession or stagflation as its macroeconomic fundamentals are “perfect”.