Cong alleges 'mishandling' of economy, asks govt to cut excise duty on fuel

The Congress alleged the Modi government's "catastrophic mishandling" of the economy has created an "abyss of economic uncertainty"

The Congress on Saturday alleged that the Modi government's "catastrophic mishandling" of the economy has created an "abyss of economic uncertainty" and called upon the Centre to reduce excise duty to bring down fuel and cooking gas prices.

In a resolution on inflation and the economic situation of the country, the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body said, the "continued slide" of the economy is a matter of great concern.

"After the sharp decline in 2020-21, the Modi government boasted of a V-shaped recovery. All signs point to an uneven and struggling recovery in different sectors," the resolution said.

"The jobs that were lost during the recession and the pandemic have not been recovered, the micro and small units that were shut down have not been re-started. Millions of families face the twin hardships of unemployment and high prices," the party said.

The resolution alleged the Modi government is bent upon "robbing" the people of India by all-round inflation and is completely oblivious to the economic worries and challenges being faced by the average Indian.

The irony is these challenges are the direct result of the Modi government's "catastrophic mishandling" of the economy that has created an "abyss of economic uncertainty" that has swallowed the minimum income and savings of the average Indian.

"Nearly 14 crore jobs have been lost, salaries have been cut drastically, lakhs of MSMEs have been shut down and small shopkeepers are struggling to stay afloat," the CWC said.

The Modi government's actions in raising petrol and diesel prices are plain and "simple extortion", the party said.

"For the first time ever, petrol has crossed the Rs 100 per litre mark across the country (touching Rs. 105 per litre at many places) and diesel is almost touching Rs 100 per litre mark," it said.

The CWC also said the "unaffordable" prices of basic consumer goods have "burnt a hole" in the budget of every Indian.

The Congress calls upon the Modi government to forthwith reduce excise duty to bring down the unsustainably high fuel and cooking gas prices, the resolution said.

At a time when the nation is recovering from a pandemic, made worse by a lack of preparedness on the part of the government, the Modi dispensation must introspect, the party said.

The CWC calls upon the government to take immediate steps to reduce prices in all crucial sectors, to acknowledge the damage caused by poorly thought-out economic policy and to take urgent steps to remedy the same, the resolution said.