NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday accused the Centre of delivering a “high-voltage shock” of rising prices to the country, and said the “arrogant” Modi government remains intent on misleading the people through “statistical jugglery”.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “preoccupied with generating fake headlines” and has even snatched away the common person’s dream of building a home.
“The Modi government is delivering a fresh, high-voltage shock of rising prices to the country every week,” he said in a post in Hindi on X.
Inflation is no longer confined to the kitchen; from home construction to electrical goods, the poor and middle class are feeling the painful ‘electric shock’ of rising costs in every aspect, Ramesh said.
“The price of copper wire has surged from Rs 850 to Rs 1,700 per kg, and aluminum has risen from Rs 350 to Rs 650 per kg. The cost of wiring a 1,000-square-foot house has doubled from Rs 50,000 to nearly Rs 1 lakh,” he said, citing a media report.
Solar panels have become 10-15% more expensive while costs for fans and false ceilings have also risen, he said.
Household appliances, such as electric irons, have seen price hikes of up to 20%, while the prices of LEDs and halogen lights have also jumped by approximately 20%, Ramesh claimed.
Every expense associated with building a home from switches, sockets, and main-line cables to tiles, wiring, and labour charges is on the rise, he said.
“Inflation is giving a shock to the public’s pocket hard from all directions, yet the arrogant Modi government remains intent on masking this reality and misleading the people through statistical jugglery,” Ramesh said.
He shared a media report on X which claimed that a sharp surge in raw material prices, particularly copper and aluminium, has disrupted the budget of the electrical and electronics market.
His remarks came after Prime Minister Modi commended the people for the 7.8 per cent GDP growth rate, noting that the feat was accomplished despite wars, instability, and supply chain disruptions.
India’s economy grew at a faster-than-expected 7.8 per cent in the April-June quarter, showing resilience against concerns of an economic downturn over the war in West Asia.
Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of the 2026-27 fiscal year slowed from a barnstorming 8.6 per cent in the previous quarter, but remained well above expectations when the conflict erupted and disrupted energy markets.
The Congress on Monday said the 7.8 per cent GDP growth in the April-June quarter is “not an economic spring” and claimed it presents a “Greatly Distorted Picture” of the state of India’s economy as it doesn’t convey the “depressed” investment sentiment.
Hitting back at Modi, Ramesh had said this is a case of “premature celebration” by the prime minister, as consumer confidence is “sluggish”, household saving rates have fallen and debt has reached a “record high”.
