Modi Government to Detonate 'Inflation Bomb' Across the Country the Moment Elections End in Five States: Anurag Dhanda

Delhi/Chandigarh(The Uttam Hindu) : Anurag Dhanda, the National Media In-charge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has strongly criticized the Modi-led Central Government over the continuously rising inflation in the country. He stated that, due to the Assembly elections in five states, the Modi government is making every effort to keep inflation in check; however, the moment these elections conclude, the Modi government will detonate an "inflation bomb" across the entire nation by hiking the prices of domestic gas cylinders. He pointed out that the price of commercial gas cylinders has already gone up by ₹525. Petrol, cement, bread, and footwear have all become more expensive. He remarked that while the entire country is gripped by the fear of inflation—with people standing in long queues just to procure a gas cylinder—Modi Ji appears to be completely unconcerned. He is busy cutting ribbons and addressing election rallies. Modi Ji is deliberately creating 'Corona-like' conditions within the country to ensure that his businessman friends can continue to rake in massive profits.

Addressing a press conference at the AAP headquarters on Wednesday, Anurag Dhanda asserted that the nation is passing through an extremely critical phase, and an "inflation bomb" is being detonated inside the homes of common people on a daily basis. The BJP government at the Centre is attempting to present the situation in such a manner that the full impact of this inflation remains concealed for the time being, primarily because Assembly elections are scheduled to take place in several states within just a few days. The BJP government appears to be concerned about absolutely nothing other than elections; consequently, they are currently making every effort to downplay the severity of the inflationary crisis. The price hikes observed in various products over the past few days serve as a clear indication that the days ahead are going to be extremely grim.

Anurag Dhanda pointed out that over the last two months, the rates for commercial gas have been raised on five separate occasions; cumulatively, the price of a commercial gas cylinder has gone up by ₹525. While both commercial and domestic cylinders contain the exact same type of gas, the government has currently kept the prices of domestic cylinders frozen. If there is a genuine supply or cost issue, it should logically affect both categories; however, the government has deliberately kept domestic prices on hold, intending to recoup all these costs from the common people the moment the elections are concluded. With the rise in commercial cylinder prices, the cost of food at hotels across the board has also increased. Consequently, as hotel dining became more expensive, all food delivery aggregators have also hiked their delivery charges.

Anurag Dhanda further stated that, in addition to this, the price of premium petrol has risen by ₹15 within just the last month. The cost of a bag of cement has gone up by anywhere between ₹50 and ₹100. Regarding aviation fuel—the prices of which have been hiked significantly—there has been an 8.5% increase for domestic flights and a staggering rise of over 114% for international flights. This will have a direct impact on airfares. Domestic flight fares are set to rise immediately by ₹500, while the cost of international flight tickets is expected to jump by more than $200. Even the price of bread—a staple of daily life—suddenly shot up from ₹30 to ₹35, almost without anyone noticing. Furthermore, the cost of footwear has increased by up to 25%.

Anurag Dhanda added that the government, too, is effectively adding fuel to the fire. While the economic burden stemming from the international crisis is inevitable, the government has compounded the problem by unilaterally hiking toll taxes by 5%. The root commodity underlying all these products is crude oil. If the prices of essentials such as premium petrol, commercial gas, cement, and aviation fuel are rising at such an accelerated pace, it serves as a clear warning that this economic calamity is poised to descend upon the common people very soon. The government has stalled this price hike for domestic consumers solely due to the elections.

Anurag Dhanda raised the question: in such an emergency situation—when the nation is grappling with a crisis of this magnitude, and it is patently obvious just how dire the times ahead are going to be—what exactly should the Prime Minister be doing? Should he not be sitting down with his Cabinet and experts to strategize and prepare for the grim period that lies ahead? Yet, our Prime Minister seems to have no respite from election campaigning. Just two or three days ago, he went to cut the ribbon at an airport from which the very first flight is not scheduled to take off for another two or three months. But for the Prime Minister, cutting ribbons takes precedence. On Tuesday, he was in Gujarat—holding roadshows in one place, addressing rallies in another, inaugurating museums elsewhere, and flagging off trains in yet another location. Today, the Prime Minister is seen plucking tea leaves in Assam. It appears that whatever the Prime Minister touches turns expensive; consequently, tea prices are also bound to rise in the near future, simply because he visited Assam and, while campaigning there, laid his hands on the tea.

Anurag Dhanda asserted that at a time when calamity is striking the homes of ordinary citizens across the country—when the entire nation is gripped by the fear of inflation, when people are standing in long queues only to find themselves unable to procure gas cylinders, and when people are queuing up in a state of anxious uncertainty, wondering whether or not they will even get petrol the next day—is it truly befitting of the Prime Minister to engage in election campaigning, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and political rallies across various locations, rather than confronting this grave crisis and actively working to resolve it? Is winning elections the BJP's sole objective in politics? Do they have absolutely no concern for the people of this country? Has the Prime Minister abandoned his duty toward the nation and its citizens? Do they have absolutely no regard for the constitutional oath they swore?

Anurag Dhanda stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi first plunged the entire nation into this crisis, and now he is taking no measures to rescue it. The working class and the poor have already begun migrating out of the cities. While a middle-class or wealthy individual might, out of sheer desperation, purchase a gas cylinder on the black market for ₹5,000, a poor person—who previously managed their daily needs by refilling a small cylinder with just one kilogram of gas at a time—has absolutely no legal recourse to survive this calamity. Even if they were to purchase it on the black market, they would end up paying ₹500 for a single kilogram of gas. The government is doing nothing to ensure supply or to curb black marketing. The government claims that it possesses adequate stock. If indeed such stock exists, then in places where kilometer-long queues have formed, people will only get as many cylinders refilled as they actually possess in their homes; they certainly aren't going to go elsewhere to store gas in a drain—as the Prime Minister has suggested.

Anurag Dhanda asserted that this implies the BJP government currently at the Centre does not wish to reveal the true reality of the situation to the nation. It has no intention of formulating a plan to address the actual crisis and is instead forcibly pushing the country deeper into disaster. The Prime Minister had already forewarned that a situation akin to the COVID-19 pandemic was imminent. Now, however, it appears as though he is actively striving to engineer such a crisis himself—presumably so that he may "find opportunity within this disaster" and enable his business associates to reap massive profits.