‘Time for PM to pack his bags and go’: Congress targets Centre as food inflation hits 7.74% | India News
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday launched an attack on the Narendra Modi-led government over rising prices, alleging that people are struggling to cope with the increasing cost of food and other household essentials.Ramesh pointed to the September inflation figures, arguing that the rise in food prices deserved greater attention than the headline retail inflation rate of 5.54 per cent. Food inflation stood at 7.74 per cent during the month, while retail inflation rose from 3.40 per cent in March to 5.54 per cent in September, reaching its highest level in 23 months, according to the government data cited by him.In a post on X, Ramesh wrote, “Vote Theft is the Truth. Back-Breaking Inflation is the Reality.”The Congress leader said prices of several commonly consumed food items had surged sharply. Onions recorded a 108 per cent increase, while garlic prices rose 55 per cent, ginger became 63 per cent more expensive and lemons saw a 36 per cent rise.Describing the price increases as having “crossed all limits”, Ramesh accused the government of overlooking the difficulties faced by households. He said the pressure was not restricted to grocery bills, with transportation, education, clothing, shoes and household goods also becoming more expensive.“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.
‘Inflation is eating into household savings’
Ramesh argued that the burden of rising prices was being felt differently across income groups, with poorer households struggling to afford food and middle-class families facing pressure on their savings. He also flagged the growing burden of debt.“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.He also invoked the government’s promise of “achhe din” to question its handling of the situation, alleging that the erosion of savings had accompanied the rise in prices.“The government that came to power promising ‘good days’ is not only stealing votes but also robbing savings.”Ramesh’s criticism extended to the government’s response to public anger over inflation and his allegations of vote theft. He claimed that the government had little incentive to address people’s concerns if it did not fear losing their support.“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 7% GDP growth for India
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected India’s economy to expand by 7 per cent in both FY26 and FY28. Its October 2026 World Economic Outlook, however, cautioned that the global economy’s resilience was becoming increasingly fragile and uneven amid rising energy and food prices and geopolitical uncertainty.
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“The global economy remains resilient, but that resilience is becoming more fragile and more uneven,” the IMF said.The Fund expects the global economy to grow by 3.1 per cent in 2026 before growth improves to 3.4 per cent in 2027.Global inflation is projected to climb to 4.7 per cent in 2026, largely on account of higher energy and food prices, before easing to 4.1 per cent in 2027.
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