People struggling with rising prices, govt sleeping like 'Kumbhkaran': Rahul

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that the people are struggling with rising prices and are forced to compromise on small things of daily needs while the government is sleeping like 'Kumbhakaran'.

Gandhi shared a video on his social media handles on his recent visit to a vegetable market in Giri Nagar here and interaction with housewives who narrated their ordeal due to rising prices of food items.

"A few days ago, I went to a local vegetable market and while shopping with customers, I talked to the vendors to know how the budget of the common people is deteriorating and how inflation has troubled everyone," Gandhi said in his post accompanying the video.

"People are struggling with rising prices and are forced to compromise on small things of daily needs," the former Congress chief said in his post in Hindi.

"We discussed the prices of garlic, peas, mushrooms and other vegetables, and heard the real experiences of the people. How garlic at Rs 400 per kg and peas at Rs 120 per kg have shaken everyone's budget," he said.

What will people eat and what will they save, he wondered.

"While talking over tea, we closely understood the problems of the lives of housewives - how the income remained stagnant, inflation kept increasing uncontrollably. How saving has become impossible and how it has become difficult to arrange even a rickshaw fare of Rs 10 due to just meeting the food expenses," Gandhi said.

He urged people to share their experiences with him if they are also feeling the effect of inflation.

"Tell us how you are struggling with this problem - you know the condition of the market, you too share your personal experiences with us," he said.

In a post on X, Gandhi said, "'Garlic was once Rs 40, today it is Rs ‚400!' Rising inflation has spoiled the budget of the common person's kitchen - the government is sleeping like Kumbhakaran!"

In the over five-minute video, Gandhi is seen accompanying some housewives as they buy vegetables and haggle with vendors.

The housewives tell Gandhi that they have to curtail their eating habits as they are unable to afford the vegetables they used to earlier.

They also tell him that while wages have remained stagnant, prices have risen sharply.

The Congress on Monday took a swipe at the Modi government over "rising" prices of food items, saying the bullet train announced by it has not arrived but the inflation, which is spiralling upwards faster than the speed of a bullet train, has broken the back of the common person.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had said the people want answers not more "jumlabaazi (rhetoric)".

He had shared a media report on X which claimed that the rates of daily essential goods are increasing day by day and in the last one year, the prices of flour, oil, spices and dry fruits have increased by one and a half to two times.

"The bullet train announced by the Modi government has not arrived, but the inflation, which is spiralling upwards faster than the speed of a bullet train, has broken the back of the common person," Ramesh had said in his post in Hindi on X.

The Congress has been attacking the government over its handling of the economy and raising concerns over increasing unemployment and price rise.