The party challenged the argument that unchanged domestic LPG prices protected households from the latest increase. It said higher commercial gas costs could feed into the prices of restaurant meals, takeaway food, sweets and ready-made festive snacks.
The editorial also pointed to what it described as a Rs 1,000 increase in commercial cylinder prices in May. It dismissed a subsequent reduction as inadequate, arguing that renewed increases had undermined any relief.
Beyond fuel costs, Saamana highlighted the combined pressure of drought, food inflation and borrowing expenses. It cited food inflation of 7.74 per cent and attributed the strain on supplies and prices partly to drought conditions and the Iran–US conflict.
The editorial said rising prices of pulses, grains and other essentials were making routine purchases increasingly difficult for ordinary families. It also argued that the Reserve Bank of India’s repo rate increase had added to borrowers’ repayment burden through higher interest costs.
Taking aim at the government’s political priorities, the party accused it of holding back fuel and commodity price increases until elections in five states were over, before allowing prices to rise.
It also questioned the contrast between the Prime Minister’s appeals for austerity and policies that, in the party’s view, left citizens with less disposable income.
The editorial urged the government to recognise the pressure on household finances, arguing that successive price increases were diminishing families’ ability to celebrate Diwali.
With IANS inputs
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