New Delhi [India], October 28 (ANI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has criticised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over rising inflation, increasing household debt and declining household financial savings, alleging that the economic burden on ordinary citizens has intensified amid festival celebrations.

In a post on X, Kharge accused the government of attempting to curtail voting rights while also raising concerns about the impact of inflation on people's livelihoods. He cited several economic indicators to highlight his criticism of the government's handling of inflation and household finances.

"The Modi government, desperate to strip away voting rights, now wants to eliminate the right to live as well," Kharge wrote.

Referring to the financial pressures faced by households, the Congress president said inflation was consuming people's earnings even during the festive season. He wrote, "Amidst festivals, back-breaking inflation is gobbling up every single penny of earnings."

Kharge also shared figures relating to food inflation, household debt, financial savings, retail inflation and wholesale inflation to support his criticism. According to the figures cited in his post, food inflation rose from 2.13 per cent to 7.74 per cent, while household debt increased by 36.7 per cent. He further claimed that household debt was rising at triple the pace, while household financial savings had declined by 4 per cent.

The Congress leader also cited retail inflation at 5.54 per cent and wholesale inflation at 11.39 per cent, arguing that the figures reflected the economic pressures facing households.

"The numbers tell the truth," Kharge wrote before listing the indicators in his post.

Taking a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kharge referred to the party's political messaging on inflation before it came to power in 2014. He criticised the BJP for staging sit-ins while, according to him, failing to adequately address the rising cost of living.

"If the BJP, now sitting in power and staging sit-ins today, and Mr Modi ever find time away from their senseless grandstanding, they should rewatch their own BJP ad from before 2014: 'Enough of inflation's blows!'" he wrote. (ANI)