‘When will PM Modi talk about people’s pain’: Congress slams government over rise in inflation

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh. File | Photo credit: Murali Kumar K.

With retail inflation hovering at 4.38% in June, the Congress on Tuesday (Jul 14, 2026) said rising prices had dented the budgets of common families during the last 12 years of the BJP-led government and asked when Prime Minister Narendra Modi would talk about the pain of the common man.

Retail inflation rose to 4.38% in June, driven mainly by more expensive food, pushing the pace of price growth above the Reserve Bank’s mid-point target of 4%, according to government data released on Monday (13 July).

It is the first time that retail inflation has crossed the 4% mark under the new series, which came into effect from January this year.

The base year of the new series is 2024.

In a post in Hindi (The real nature of 12 years of Modi rule: a deluge of false promises and a cruel blow to the public in the form of inflation and unemployment!)”

“In the last 12 years of the Modi government, inflation has eroded the budgets of ordinary families. Government data alone now reveals that retail inflation hit a 17-month high of 4.38% in June, while it stands at 4.74% in rural India,” he said.

Apart from inflation, there are now fears of a rise in bank interest rates, which could increase the burden of home and car EMIs on the middle class, Ramesh said.

Why profits fill the pockets of capitalists while the burden falls on the backs of common people, the Congress leader asked.

“When will Prime Minister Modi, the patron saint of capitalists, talk about the pain of the common people?” Ramesh asked further.

Inflation based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose to 4.38% in June from 3.93% in May.

Food inflation rose to 5.32% in June from 4.78% in the previous month, according to CPI data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO).

The top five items with high inflation in June were silver, gold, diamond and platinum jewellery; ginger, tomato and raisin (kishmish) and monacca, according to NSO data.

On the other hand, the top 5 items with low inflation were potato, pea, automobile and jeep, cumin (jeera) and motorcycle and scooter.

While the national average inflation was 4.38%, the corresponding CPI for rural and urban areas were 4.74% and 3.92%, respectively.

Published – 14 July 2026 11:45 AM IST