Congress slams govt over 'skyrocketing' edible oil prices amid festival season

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said people were already "struggling" with prices of onion, potato, tomato and now around the festival season, with the high prices of cooking oil

The Congress on Wednesday alleged that the prices of edible oil are "skyrocketing" because of the "faulty" policies of the government and even the festival spirits had been dampened due to it.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said people were already "struggling" with prices of onion, potato, tomato and now around the festival season, they are also grappling with the high prices of cooking oil.

"Prices of edible oil are skyrocketing because of the failures of the central government," Shrinate said at a media briefing.

Prices of groundnut oil, soya bean oil, mustard oil, sunflower oil and peanut oil have risen only because of the "faulty" policies of this government, she alleged.

"Oil is used by everyone who cooks in India. So from the poorest person to the richest man and there is no elasticity in demand here," she said.

"They (the government) should have taken care of this. You cannot make basic commodities unaffordable. You have made a basic commodity unaffordable in India," Shrinate said.

She said the poor were struck by a "double whammy" as unlike high prices earlier, the rise in prices now have been being preceded by job losses and wage cuts.

"Which is where this government is immoral, which is where this government is inefficient and we strongly call out inefficiency and immorality of theirs," Shrinate said.

The UPA government had started a big mission, but this government did not take it to its logical conclusion and that is why the price of edible oils has increased between 33 per cent and 50 per cent, she said.

"Today, we see that the dishes before the festivals have been devoid of their sweetness, because the prices of the oil they will be cooked in are on fire," Shrinate said.