Kharge slams Modi govt on inflation: 'Wants to eliminate right to live'
Synopsis
Invoking the BJP’s own pre-2014 anti-inflation slogans against it, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge used a detailed commodity price table to argue that household costs have more than doubled under Modi’s watch — with onions up 131 per cent and mustard oil up 103 per cent since May 2014. The broadside lands as the INDIA bloc readies a Delhi march on 1 November targeting the Election Commission.
Key Takeaways
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of wanting to “eliminate the right to live” over rising inflation on 28 October 2026 .
Kharge cited food inflation rising from 2.13% to 7.74% , household debt up 36.7% , and retail inflation at 5.54% .
A commodity price table showed onions up 131.83% , tomatoes up 126.40% , and mustard oil up 103.73% since May 2014 .
Kharge invoked the BJP’s own pre-2014 anti-inflation campaign to highlight the contrast with current prices.
The INDIA bloc is planning a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march at Ramlila Ground on 1 November , demanding CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation over electoral roll concerns.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, launched a sharp attack on the Central government over rising inflation, accusing it of seeking to “eliminate the right to live” even as the country celebrates the festive season. Kharge made the remarks in a post on X, framing the economic pressure on ordinary households as a direct consequence of governance failures under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Kharge’s Inflation Charges
In his post, Kharge wrote: “The Modi government, desperate to strip away voting rights, now wants to eliminate the right to live as well. Amidst festivals, back-breaking inflation is gobbling up every single penny of earnings.” He backed his claims with a set of figures, asserting that food inflation had risen from 2.13 per cent to 7.74 per cent, household debt had climbed by 36.7 per cent, and household financial savings had declined by 4 per cent. He further cited retail inflation at 5.54 per cent and wholesale inflation at 11.39 per cent, stating that “numbers tell the truth.”
Commodity Price Comparison: May 2014 to October 2026
Kharge also shared a comparative table of retail prices for basic commodities spanning May 2014 to October 2026. According to the data he presented, the retail price of onions rose from ₹23 per kg to ₹53.32 per kg — an increase of 131.83 per cent. Tomatoes climbed from ₹17.50 per kg to ₹39.62 per kg, a rise of 126.40 per cent. Mustard oil saw the price jump from ₹102 per litre to ₹207.80 per litre, a surge of 103.73 per cent.
BJP’s 2014 Promises Invoked
The Congress chief did not stop at data. He pointedly recalled the BJP’s own pre-2014 campaign messaging, stating: “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!’” Kharge further asserted that the public has “wasted” 12 years waiting for the promise of “good days.”
Broader Opposition Context
Kharge’s remarks come amid a sustained campaign by the Opposition against both the BJP government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls, which critics allege is designed to disenfranchise voters. The Congress-led INDIA bloc is planning a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on 1 November, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. The inflation attack, timed to the festive season when household expenditure peaks, is part of a broader Opposition effort to link economic grievances with what it describes as democratic backsliding.
Point of View
Amplifying the political resonance of price data. The decision to anchor the attack in a commodity price table, rather than just rhetoric, is a deliberate E-E-A-T move: it is harder to dismiss than a slogan. Yet the figures Kharge presents are his own cited claims, not independently verified in the source, and the BJP has yet to publicly rebut the specific numbers. The conflation of the electoral roll controversy with an economic grievance campaign also reveals the INDIA bloc’s dual-front strategy: contest the BJP on both livelihood issues and democratic norms simultaneously ahead of what could be a consequential electoral cycle.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say about inflation on 28 October 2026?
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge posted on X accusing the Modi government of wanting to ‘eliminate the right to live’ due to surging prices. He cited food inflation rising from 2.13% to 7.74%, household debt up 36.7%, and retail inflation at 5.54%.
What commodity price data did Kharge share?
Kharge shared a table comparing retail prices from May 2014 to October 2026. It showed onions up 131.83% (₹23 to ₹53.32 per kg), tomatoes up 126.40% (₹17.50 to ₹39.62 per kg), and mustard oil up 103.73% (₹102 to ₹207.80 per litre).
What is the INDIA bloc’s planned march and what does it demand?
The Congress-led INDIA bloc is organising a ‘Delhi Chalo’ march at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on 1 November 2026. It is directed against the Election Commission of India and demands the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Review of electoral rolls.
Why is the Opposition targeting the Election Commission alongside the inflation issue?
The Opposition alleges that the ECI’s Special Intensive Review (SIR) of electoral rolls is designed to disenfranchise voters, which Kharge linked directly to his charge that the government is ‘desperate to strip away voting rights.’ The dual campaign ties economic and democratic grievances together.
How did Kharge use the BJP’s own history against it?
Kharge referenced the BJP’s pre-2014 advertising campaign that attacked the then-government with the slogan ‘Enough of inflation’s blows!’, arguing that prices under the BJP’s own rule have since risen sharply, making the original promise of ‘good days’ a hollow one after 12 years.
