Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday (June 20) accused the Narendra Modi government of ‘mismanagement of the economy’, saying rapidly rising inflation is depleting household savings and leaving ordinary citizens unable to afford basic necessities.

In a post on X, Kharge warned that citizens are facing mounting economic stress. “Rapidly depleting savings due to high inflation. Unaffordability, betrayal of aspirations, inequality, fall in global credibility, youth anger galore!” he wrote, adding that “Households perish under the weight of Modi Govt’s mismanagement of the economy!”

Over the past few months India has seen a noticeable rise in the prices of food, fuel and essential services, squeezing household budgets across income levels. Food inflation — driven by volatile vegetable prices, higher input costs and supply‑chain disruptions — has pushed up grocery bills, while international crude volatility and domestic tax and distribution factors have kept retail fuel prices elevated, increasing transport and logistics costs.

At the same time, costs for health care, education and utilities have climbed, compounding the burden on families already coping with slower wage growth and limited savings. The combined effect is weakening purchasing power, raising concerns about consumption, poverty risks and political fallout if policymakers do not ease the squeeze.

Food, retail and medical inflation

Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted a string of worrying indicators to back his criticism. He said retail inflation has hit a 16‑month high and pointed to food inflation at 4.78%, noting colorfully that “Tomatoes vanish from plates.” He further said medical inflation is above 15%, intensifying the cost burden on families.

According to government data released last week, India saw retail inflation rise 3.93% year-over-year in May (from 3.48% in April) amidst higher food and fuel costs. The outlook continued to remain clouded by price pressures stemming from the Middle East conflict.

Currency and investment concerns

Turning to macroeconomic signals, Kharge argued the rupee is “sinking to the pits” and accused the government of failing to attract foreign capital: “Foreign investors shunning us.” He tied these developments to a broader narrative of eroding global credibility, warning that sustained currency weakness could raise import costs and widen the trade deficit. He also cautioned that a lack of confidence from overseas investors might limit India’s ability to fund growth projects and could pressure borrowing costs for both the government and corporations. In his view, these macroeconomic vulnerabilities reflect deeper policy shortcomings that need urgent correction to restore investor trust and stabilise the exchange rate.

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Jobs and youth discontent

Kharge also raised the issue of employment, saying young people are not finding work and unemployment is rising. “No Jobs for youth, Unemployment zooms,” he wrote, suggesting that worsening economic conditions are fuelling youth anger. He warned that the lack of credible job creation is undermining the aspirations of millions of graduates and skilled workers, pushing many into informal or low-paying roles. Kharge argued that without a focused push on employment-intensive sectors and better alignment between education and industry needs, the youth unemployment crisis could deepen, eroding social stability and long-term economic growth.

BJP distracted by alliances

The Congress chief juxtaposed the economic grievances of ordinary citizens with what he described as the BJP’s preoccupation with political deals. “BJP busy shopping from other parties, but the AAM AADMI can’t afford basic necessities!” he said, framing the ruling party’s alliance-building as politically opportunistic while economic distress mounts.

Kharge’s post comes amid persistent public concern over rising prices of food and essential services across India. The Congress leader used sharp language and specific statistics to press his argument that the government must prioritise economic relief and job creation ahead of political manoeuvring.