Centre insensitive to pain of common people, alleges Congress ahead of Delhi rally against price rise

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday accused the Centre of being "insensitive" to the pain of the common people due to rising prices and said it will continue fighting for their cause on the streets as the principal opposition.

 Speaking with the media ahead of the 'Mehngai par halla bol' rally of the party at the Ramlila Maidan here on Sunday, General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal hit out at the Modi government for its "wrong policies" and alleged it was busy "buying MLAs" and toppling Opposition governments.

"This government is totally insensitive. You can compare the prices, from 2014 to 2022, how the prices of essential commodities have shot up," said Venugopal, flanked by Congress general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken at the Ramlila Maidan here. The Congress has been raising the issue on the streets, protested with a Black Day in August when several leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, courted arrest, and also pressed for a debate in Parliament on the issue of price rise, he said.

 "You can feel the pain of the common people due to the insensitivity and bad policies of the union government... The government is not bothered and is only busy buying MLAs and toppling Opposition governments," he alleged.

The Congress as a principal, responsible Opposition of the country has taken to the streets against price rise, Venugopal said. Congress general secretary Ajay Maken alleged that the government was only concerned about "benefiting its crony capitalist friends and not the common people".

 He slammed the government for the high cost of petrol and diesel and its spiral effect on prices of other commodities.