Common man in distress due to rising inflation, fuel prices, say Haryana Congress leaders

Several Haryana Congress leaders on Wednesday criticised the BJP government at the Centre, saying rising inflation and fuel prices have broken the back of the common man.

Congress leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Ashok Arora, B B Batra and Aftab Ahmed launched a sharp attack on the BJP government, pointing out that it started increasing petrol and diesel prices as soon as the recent assembly elections in four states and a Union Territory were over.

In a statement, Hooda said, ''The BJP began to show its true colours as soon as elections in the five states concluded, and continuously hiked prices. On May 15, petrol and diesel prices rose by Rs 3 per litre, followed by a further increase of approximately 90 paise on May 19.

''Due to the surge in oil prices, the cost of various commodities is constantly on the rise. From milk to pulses, from cooking oil to clothing -- whether for running a household kitchen, managing a business, or commuting to the office -- the budget for everything is skyrocketing,'' he said.

Addressing a press conference here, Ashok Arora, B B Batra and Aftab Ahmed said that Congress had staged demonstrations in Haryana against the fuel hike.

''We demanded that the government should provide relief to people as it is not only the fuel prices, but even essential items like cooking oil whose prices have been on a constant rise,'' Arora said.

He said the rise in fuel prices has a cascading effect as they also push the prices of other commodities.

Hooda noted that the price of domestic LPG cylinders reached between Rs 910 and Rs 913 by March 2026.

''This stands in stark contrast to the BJP's election promise to provide cylinders for just Rs 500, the promise on which they rode to power. During the Congress rule, the price of a cylinder rarely exceeded Rs 400,'' he said.

''Similarly, the rates for commercial 19-kg cylinders were hiked by Rs 114.50 in March, Rs 195.50 in April, and Rs 993 on May 1. This translates to a cumulative price surge of over Rs 1,300. Consequently, hotels, dhabas (roadside eateries), and small restaurants have been severely impacted.

''Small traders, taxi and truck drivers, and hotel owners are in distress as the commercial cylinder rates now exceed Rs 3,000, which in turn is driving up the cost of food and beverages,'' he said.

The small 5-kg cylinders, commonly used by migrant workers, have also become more expensive. As a result, migrant labourers are being compelled to return to their native villages, Hooda claimed.

''In April 2026, the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) -- a measure of wholesale inflation -- hit 8.3 per cent, marking a 42-month high. This is not merely a statistic; it serves as a stark indicator of the alarming pace at which the prices of commodities essential for the public's daily consumption are rising,'' he said.

The Congress leader said the monthly budgets of the poor and the middle class are being severely disrupted, while farming costs for agriculturists continue to escalate.

The former chief minister said that the purchasing power of poor and middle-class families has declined, savings are dwindling, and the cost of daily living is skyrocketing.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)