BJP loots Rs 90,000 per Marathi family, gives back dole of Rs 1,500: Congress

The Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of looting Rs 90,000 from every Maharashtrian home owing to sky-high inflation and giving back Rs 1,500 by way of ‘Ladki Bahin’ dole.

Congress spokespersons Pawan Khera and Anant Gadgil said the BJP government at the Centre and state has fueled massive food inflation which has seen prices of all commodities skyrocket.

Citing instances, Khera said that items of daily use like onions sell for Rs 100/kg, and garlic is Rs 500/kg, besides unaffordable other essentials like edible oil, ghee, grains, vegetables, etc.

“The domestic budgets of the commoners and even middle-class families have collapsed due to the rising costs of all essential items of survival. By this route, the BJP government is robbing every Marathi family of Rs 90,000/year. The government must account for it,” said Khera.

“In a compensation of sorts, Maharashtra (the MahaYuti) is doling out Rs 1,500/month (Rs 18000/annum), but instead of tackling these burning issues, the BJP is diverting the peoples’ minds with slogans like ‘batenge to katenge’, ‘vote-jihad’ or ‘ek hain to safe hain’,” he said.

He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lecturing on every topic in the world “but doesn’t utter a word on the problems of the masses”, but the people are not stupid, and the BJP will pay for all its follies.

Gadgil said the BJP leaders and the PM have been making misleading speeches during the Maharashtra polls campaign with a complete distortion of facts and figures.

Referring to the PM’s statement that FDI has shot up in the past two-and-half years of the BJP’s stress on investment, infrastructure and industry, Gadgil said that on 1 October 2024, Rs 1.18 lakh crore of investments was withdrawn by foreign investors, along with other setbacks for the country.

On claims that the IT sector is flourishing as the government is diverting a large share of investments to Pune, Gadgil countered contending that the speed of growth in the IT sector has slowed down and jobs are shrinking along with other ills.

Gadgil pointed out how the costs of the Mumbai Metro railway projects in Mumbai shot up from Rs 24,000 crore to Rs 32, 000 while the Congress government had constructed the Delhi Metro in just three years.

He also cited that PM Modi forgot to mention about the eight-year delay in the construction of the Mumbai Metro line from Andheri to Nariman Point.

The Gadgil-Khera duo also reiterated the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s Manifesto released last week and promised to implement it fully by “giving back the people's money back to the people”.

Maharashtra Congress’ chief spokesperson Atul Londhe, state media in-charge for elections Surendra Rajput and other leaders were present at the briefing.