NEW DELHI: The Congress on Monday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not addressing rising inflation in his Mann Ki Baat radio address, accusing him of being “blissfully unconcerned” about the issue.The opposition party’s attack came a day after PM Modi addressed the nation in the 138th episode of Mann Ki Baat.“The brunt of inflation is no longer confined just to the kitchen, yet the Prime Minister remains blissfully unconcerned, beating his drum away. Vegetables are getting more expensive by the day, with onion prices soaring 48.27% in August. Items such as air conditioners, TVs and refrigerators are also set to become more expensive. Household savings are steadily declining, while family debt is mounting. In such a scenario, how is the common family supposed to meet its needs?” Congress MP Jairam Ramesh wrote on X.Ramesh questioned why PM Modi continues to “sermonise” in the Mann Ki Baat series instead of addressing the public’s concerns.“In his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio series, the Prime Minister keeps sermonising on various issues, but when will he address the country’s most pressing concern—inflation? When will he care about the public’s worries? The public is already beleaguered by rising prices, and there’s no relief coming from the government. How on earth is the average family supposed to manage its budget? How long will the middle class and the poor have their backs broken like this?” the Rajya Sabha MP asked.According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) Consumer Price Index (CPI) release, retail inflation, based on the 2024=100 CPI, stood at 4.82% in August, up from 4.45% in July. Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI), rose to 5.95% in August from 5.52% in July. The August figures are provisional.Official data showed that onion inflation surged from 22.54% in July to 48.27% in August. Ginger recorded inflation of 73.82%, while garlic inflation stood at 43.60%. In contrast, tomato prices fell 31.09% year-on-year, while potato prices declined 13.14%.
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MoSPI data showed inflation in the combined food and beverages category at 5.66% in August. Transport inflation stood at 4.60 percent, education services at 3.73%, while restaurants and accommodation services recorded inflation of 8.38%. Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services registered inflation of 15.17%.The CPI data was compiled from price information collected across 1,407 urban markets, including online markets, and 1,465 villages nationwide. MoSPI reported a 100% response rate from both rural and urban markets in August.According to MoSPI, the next CPI data, covering September, is scheduled to be released on October 12.(With ANI inputs)
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