New Delhi, 20 May (H.S.): Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have accused the central government of completely failing to control rising inflation in the country, particularly in petroleum product prices. Kharge alleged that the Centre is pushing the economy into decline, while Rahul Gandhi criticised the Prime Minister for travelling abroad during what he described as an economic crisis.
In a post on social media platform X on Wednesday, Kharge said that in 11 years of the government, public debt has increased 11-fold, inflation and unemployment have reached alarming levels, and the rupee has fallen to historic lows while foreign investors are withdrawing. He further alleged that the wealth of industrialists has grown rapidly, while ordinary citizens are burdened by inflation and taxes.
Kharge said that domestic LPG cylinder prices have risen from ₹414 in 2014 to ₹915.5 in 2026, while commercial cylinder prices have increased from ₹1,241 to ₹3,152. Prices of everyday essentials such as CNG, milk, bread, and medicines continue to rise. He also claimed that recent fuel price increases enabled government oil companies to earn ₹12,400 crore within hours.
He further stated that the unemployment rate among youth reached 15.2 per cent in March 2026, the highest in nine months. He claimed that in the past decade, 90 examination papers have been leaked, affecting the future of nearly 90 million young people.
According to Kharge, the rupee has fallen to an all-time low of 96.90. He also alleged that India’s foreign exchange reserves declined by around USD 38 billion in two months after the West Asia conflict began. Additionally, he claimed that foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have withdrawn ₹2.2 lakh crore so far in 2026, exceeding the total outflow recorded in 2025. He further said that due to economic hardship, nearly 800 million citizens are now dependent on 5 kg food grain ration assistance.
Rahul Gandhi also posted on X, taking a dig at the Prime Minister, saying that an economic storm is looming, and while farmers, youth, women, labourers, and small traders are facing distress, the Prime Minister is abroad and BJP leaders are applauding.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
