Congress criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising food prices ahead of Diwali. The party said inflation was forcing families to choose between celebrations and household budgets.Jairam Ramesh criticises the BJP government over rising inflation The Congress on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over rising food prices ahead of Diwali and asked him to focus on the concerns of people instead of his Mann Ki Baat radio programme, news agency PTI reported.Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said rising prices were affecting household expenses and forcing families to choose between celebrating festivals and managing their budgets.Ramesh shared a media report on X, citing the Reserve Bank of India, which said the prices of some food items were continuing to rise.

He also shared another report claiming that retail prices of dry fruits had increased ahead of Diwali, with pistachios, almonds, cashews and cardamom becoming costlier by Rs 10 to Rs 300 per kg.In a post in Hindi, Ramesh said government data showed that inflation continued to rise. He asked whether an average family should celebrate festivals or try to manage its household budget in such a situation. "The bitter truth behind the promises of achhe din is manifesting in the form of ever-increasing inflation.

Over the last four months, the price of onions has surged by 85%, and sugar by 34%," Ramesh said, according to PTI."In the past month alone, the prices of tomatoes, arhar dal, and chana dal have risen by 8.5%, 3.5%, and 3.1%, respectively. Just ahead of Diwali, the price of almonds has reached Rs 1,300 per kg, while the price of green cardamom has jumped by Rs 300," he said.

Ramesh alleged that the prime minister, who was quick to highlight gross domestic product figures, remained silent on the difficulties faced by ordinary people. "On one hand, runaway inflation has shattered household budgets; on the other, real (inflation-adjusted) income has either stagnated or declined over the last decade," he said."Prime Minister, set aside your Mann Ki Baat, and focus instead on the concerns of the public," Ramesh said.The Congress has repeatedly raised the issue of rising prices and accused the government of pursuing "anti-people" policies. The government has dismissed these claims and pointed to gross domestic product figures.

The latest exchange centres on the impact of higher food prices on household budgets ahead of Diwali.- Ends