Kharge criticises Centre over rising prices, unemployment

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi city on Monday (June 1).

| Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the Union government over the increase in prices of essential commodities, including commercial LPG cylinders, and alleged that the rising cost of living was placing an additional burden on the public.Addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi city before leaving for New Delhi on Monday (June 1), Mr. Kharge said the prices of LPG, petrol, and other essential commodities had been increasing steadily. He alleged that the Narendra Modi-led government was failing to address the concerns of ordinary citizens despite having received a strong mandate from the people.Claiming that the government was losing the trust of the public, Mr. Kharge said it was relying on rhetoric rather than providing solutions to the problems faced by citizens. He also accused the Union government of blaming Opposition parties for various issues instead of focusing on governance.Mr. Kharge said the Opposition had consistently worked in the interest of the country and the welfare of the people. He alleged that several programmes announced by the Central government had not achieved their intended objectives.Expressing concern over economic issues, Mr. Kharge said the value of the rupee had been declining against the U.S. dollar, and that unemployment was increasing across the country. He alleged that the Centre was not paying adequate attention to the issue of rising unemployment.Referring to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), replaced by the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025, Mr. Kharge claimed that the programme introduced by the previous Congress-led government had been weakened by the Modi-led BJP government.Alleging that the BJP-led government at the Centre had failed on several fronts, Mr. Kharge said it was more focused on speeches than on addressing the concerns of the people. Published - June 01, 2026 07:23 pm IST