'Saamana' endorses 'Rahul's Economics'

Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Thursday focused on 'Rahul's Economics' to take a dig at the ruling NDA government for the rise in inflation, saying that if the same situation continues, it may not take much time for people's anger to erupt. The Gandhi scion had accused the Central government of mishandling the economy, adding that the government has come up with a new concept of GDP, wherein a rise in GDP means a rise in prices of gas, diesel and petrol.

Hyderabad: Shiv Sena's mouthpiece 'Saamna' having taken a dig all these days against the BJP, has come out with another article titled "Rahul's Economics" stating that the country's economy has been colonised and that if the same situation continues, it may not take much time for people's anger to erupt. Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday had slammed the Centre saying that the LPG gas price was Rs 410 per cylinder in 2014 when UPA was in power, but now it is Rs 885.

"The Bharatiya Janata Party had launched an anti-inflation movement 10 years ago. Hema Malini, Smriti Irani, Meenakshi Lekhi and several other women of the BJP Mahila Morcha had landed on the road with empty cylinders in it. As women in the country are suffering from inflation, in such a situation where is this aggressive Mahila Mandal of BJP sitting now?" asked the Saamna editorial.

The editorial went on: "Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had slammed the government over the rising price of domestic cooking gas, diesel and petrol, and alleged that an amount of Rs 23 lakh crore has been earned by increasing prices of these commodities in the last seven years. The Gandhi scion further accused the Central government of mishandling the economy, adding that the government has come up with a new concept of GDP, wherein a rise in GDP means a rise in prices of gas, diesel and petrol. The prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cooking gas cylinders across all categories including subsidised gas on Wednesday were hiked by Rs 25 per cylinder -- the third straight increase in rates in less than two months."

Both the Shiv Sena and the Congress party has been attacking the government over the rise in petrol, diesel and LPG prices and has been demanding a reduction in them by removing some of the taxes imposed by the central government.

"Petro prices have risen by 42 per cent and it has now increased by 116 per cent, while the rate of diesel has increased by 55 per cent. The price of crude oil in the international market was Rs 105 earlier and it is now 71 rupees. This means despite a 31 per cent fall in the price of crude oil, our people have not got the benefit of it.

"Though gas prices have also declined by 26 per cent, here, cooking gas has become expensive. By increasing the prices of diesel, cooking gas, petrol, the Modi government has collected 23 lakh crore rupees from the pockets of the public. Where exactly did these 23 lakh crore rupees go? Even, Rahul Gandhi had questioned this. In the month of August alone, the 'GST' collection has risen by Rs 1.12 lakh crore and all this money goes into the government treasury.

"Also, Nitish Kumar and his 'JDU' who are a part of this government have raised their voice against inflation. When people's outcry over inflation does not fall in the ears of the Modi government, how will Nitish's weak voice reach? However, irrespective of all this, the Modi government says that the country's economy has accelerated," the editorial further stated.