Wrong policies of Modi govt. responsible for price rise and unemployment: Dangi

Bhubaneswar: The Congress charged on Monday that the Narendra Modi administration's misguided economic policies are to blame for the nation's record price hikes and the biggest jobless rate in 45 years, accusing them of betraying the people.

Senior Congressman and MP Neeraj Dangi attacked the BJD government in Odisha during a news conference in Bhubaneswar, alleging that it was working hand in glove with the federal government and was to blame for the state's rising unemployment rate.

The Rajya Sabha member asserted that there are around 1,62,000 unfilled government positions in the state, 80,000 of which are entry-level positions, and that the Naveen Patnaik administration is doing nothing to fill them.

He asserted that both the state government and the federal government are complicit in driving up inflation and the unemployment rate since they appear to be backing each other's actions.

The Congress lawmaker, who was critical of the government at the Centre, claimed that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office, he held out the promise of an inflation- and unemployment-free future. He claimed that in its place, "he has given a nightmare of record price rise and the greatest unemployment in 45 years."

Dangi accused the Modi Government of failing in every area, claiming that since taking office in 2014, it has not only failed to limit price increases but also made matters worse for the populace by its flawed policies and dishonesty.

In 2019, Modi bragged to voters about how important products like foodgrains, curd, lassi, and buttermilk were GST-free, but in 2022, he began charging a tax on these things. He claimed that the Ujjwala Yojana was utilised to garner votes in the 2019 elections, but that shortly afterward, Modi ruthlessly ended the subsidies for cooking gas.

According to Dangi, the cost of LPG, which was Rs 410 per cylinder in 2014, has more than doubled to Rs 1,053 to Rs 1,240 per cylinder, making it unaffordable for thousands of consumers to replenish their empty gas cylinders.

He added, "These are only two of the countless instances where Modi lied to the Indian people to garner votes and then stabbed them in the back.

Exorbitant fuel taxes imposed by the Centre in an effort to fill its coffers at any costs have further reduced the purchasing power of Indian consumers. The cost of a litre of gasoline or an LPG cylinder has increased significantly for customers since the UPA government was in power, despite the fact that global prices for gasoline, diesel, and LPG were substantially higher in 2013–14 than they would be in 2021–22.

He claimed that although crude oil and LPG prices have been falling internationally for the past few months, consumers have not benefited from the decrease.

According to Dangi, the economy has already suffered due to the measures taken by the Centre, including the rapid implementation of the GST and the demonetisation of currency.

He added that the Modi administration is also closing down PSUs, privatising them, and giving valuable national assets to its "business buddies."

He said that 10 lakh vacant positions in the federal government, or 24% of all sanctioned positions, are the result of its "anti-youth" policies.

He asserted that the ill-conceived Agnipath programme poses a new danger to both the national security and the employment prospects of our youth.

The results have been disastrous, as thousands of young people have been dejected and quit looking for work. Despite this flight, Dangi claimed that 42% of young people in the age range of 20 to 24 who are still looking for work are unemployed.

He emphasised that Congress supports the people during these trying times and added that the party has spoken out against the Modi government's incompetence and foolish policies, which have exacerbated India's inflation and unemployment.

We have planned seven national protests and mass awakening programmes since June 2021. We shall stage a "Mehangai Par Halla Bol" march at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on September 4 following our statewide protest against price hikes on August 5," he stated.

He continued by saying that the Congress wanted the BJP-led administration to quickly fulfil its pledge to reduce inflation and create jobs.