Congress's Jairam Ramesh attacked the Modi govt, stating 'back-breaking inflation is the reality'. He highlighted 7.74% food inflation and rising prices of essentials, accusing the government of 'vote theft' and ignoring the people's troubles.

Congress Slams 'Back-Breaking Inflation'

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on the Narendra Modi-led government over rising inflation, claiming that prices of almost every food item have "crossed all limits". "Vote Theft is the Truth. Back-Breaking Inflation is the Reality," Ramesh posted on X.

He said that while headlines report retail inflation at 5.54 per cent in September, “the real story is that food inflation has hit 7.74 per cent”. He added that the prices of almost every food item have shot up, citing onions (up 108 per cent), garlic (55 per cent), ginger (63 per cent) and lemons (36 per cent). “According to government data, retail inflation has steadily risen from 3.40 per cent in March to 5.54 per cent in September, marking the highest level in 23 months,” he added.

Ramesh said the impact was not limited to food. “The impact of inflation isn’t confined to just the dinner plate. Essentials like transportation, education, clothing, shoes, and household goods are all getting more expensive,” he said.

“The poor are losing their daily bread from their plates, the middle class is seeing their savings vanish from their pockets, and the burden of debt keeps growing, but the Prime Minister is drowned in arrogance, paying no attention to the people’s troubles,” the Congress leader added.

Targeting the Centre over its “achhe din” promise, Ramesh said, “The government that came to power promising ‘good days’ is not only stealing votes but also robbing savings.”

“When a vote-stealing government has no fear of the people’s anger or losing votes, why would it care about the public? That’s exactly what’s happening now. Inflation keeps rising, public outrage over vote theft keeps growing, but the Prime Minister sits there like a silent sage. Now it’s time for him to pack his bags and go,” he said.

IMF Projects Growth Amid Global Fragility

This comes after the report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected India's economy to grow by 7 per cent in both FY27 and FY28, even as it warned that the resilience of the global economy is becoming increasingly fragile amid higher energy and food prices and geopolitical uncertainty.

"The global economy remains resilient, but that resilience is becoming more fragile and more uneven," the IMF said in its October 2026 World Economic Outlook, projecting global growth at 3.1 per cent in 2026 and 3.4 per cent in 2027. The Fund expects global inflation to rise to 4.7 per cent in 2026, driven largely by higher energy and food prices, before easing to 4.1 per cent in 2027. (ANI)

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