Business

Atta, dal, oil & a ‘shattered’ kitchen budget: Cong

By Sohail Khan 19 September 2026, 12:23 pm

Benchmarks
Nifty23,346.4075.81

FEATURED FUNDS★★★★★

Motilal Oswal Midcap Fund Direct-Growth

5Y Return
22 %

Invest Now

Enter search text:

Business News›News›Politics›‘Kitchen budget completely shattered’: Jairam Ramesh targets Modi govt over rising food costs

Read Today's Paper

‘Kitchen budget completely shattered’: Jairam Ramesh targets Modi govt over rising food costs
Synopsis

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh stated the kitchen budget has been completely shattered. He accused the Modi government of failing to address rising food prices. Essential items like wheat flour and cooking oil have seen significant price increases. Ramesh alleged the government is hiding inflation through statistical jugglery. He suggested voters will respond to these issues in upcoming elections.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday said the “kitchen budget has been completely shattered”, accusing the Modi government of failing to address the rising cost of essential food items and alleging that families are struggling as prices of wheat flour, pulses and cooking oil increase.

In a post on X, Ramesh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, said the government had launched what he called a “multi-pronged attack” on the common person’s kitchen. He alleged that the rise in prices had put household budgets under strain and said “crores of families” were facing distress.

“Due to the Modi government’s anti-people policies, from wheat flour and lentils to oil, the kitchen budget is continuously deteriorating, and inflation has skyrocketed,” Ramesh said.

He also accused the government of focusing on what he described as “hiding the truth” rather than addressing the concerns around prices. Ramesh alleged that the cost of the common person’s meal was rising even as the government sought to project that inflation was under control through what he called “jugglery of statistics”.

“The common person’s plate is becoming more and more expensive, but the government wants to claim that it has controlled inflation through jugglery of statistics,” he said.

Ramesh also contrasted the alleged distress among households with the performance of what he described as “a few crony capitalists”, saying they were “reveling in joy” while millions of families were struggling.

The Congress leader’s remarks also carried a political message ahead of Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa. Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly, Ramesh said voters in these states, who he alleged were bearing the impact of rising prices, would respond during the elections.

“Modi ji, this public knows everything,” Ramesh said, adding that voters would “make you feel the pulse of wheat flour and lentils in the elections”.

The comments come amid changes to the payment ecosystem that will introduce a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on certain UPI merchant transactions from October 15. Under the revised framework announced by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), specified person-to-merchant UPI transactions above ₹2,000 will attract an MDR of 0.4%, capped at ₹300 per transaction. Consumers will not be charged the MDR directly.

The new framework is aimed at supporting investment in UPI infrastructure, innovation, cybersecurity and customer services, while low-value transactions remain outside the new MDR structure. According to NPCI-related FAQs reported by ET, transactions up to ₹2,000 will continue to remain free for users.

Ramesh’s post, however, focused primarily on the cost of essential food items and the impact he said rising prices were having on household budgets, rather than on the new UPI charges.

Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source
Add Now!

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

(You can now subscribe to our WhatsApp channel)

Read More News on
Jairam Rameshrising food costsModi governmentessential food itemshousehold inflationkitchen budgetconsumer pricesAssembly electionsUPI transactions

Enter search text:

Continue reading with one of these options:
Limited Access
Free
Login to get access to some exclusive stories

& personalised newsletters
Login Now

Unlimited Access
Starting @ Rs120/month
Get access to exclusive stories, expert opinions &

in-depth stock reports
Subscribe Now

Unlock Access to All Exclusives with ETPrime FREE TRIAL

15 Days Free: Unlock All ETPrime Exclusives, Market Tools & ePapers

Trial offer expiring in00 : 05 : 00

I'd rather pay ₹2599 now

Uh-oh! This is an exclusive story available for selected readers only.

Worry not. You’re just a step away.

Prime Account Detected!

It seems like you're already an ETPrime member with

Log out of your current logged-in account and log in again using your ET Prime credentials to enjoy all member benefits.

Unlock ETPrime's Exclusive Stories Today!

Subscribe to gain powerful insights on business, stock market and industry trends.

Big Price Drop! Flat 40% Off

Student Only Offer

Already a Member? Sign In now

Already a Member? Sign In now
Already a Member? Sign In now

Offer Exclusively For You

Save up to Rs. 700/-

ON ET PRIME MEMBERSHIP

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get 1 Year Free

With 1 and 2-Year ET prime membership

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

Get Flat 40% Off

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Offer Exclusively For You

ET Prime at ₹ 49 for 1 month

Then ₹ 1749 for 1 year

Avail Offer

Special Offer

Get flat 40% off on ETPrime

Avail Offer
Avail Offer

Claim NowAlready a Member? Sign In now

Need Assistance?

Connect with an ETPrime expert for personalized support and guidance

+91 9484700004

' + h3 + '

' + h4 + '

' + listing + '

What’s Included with

ETPrime Membership

1Exclusive Insights That Matter

Uncover the truth with our investigative stories

Make strategic moves using the real-world case studies

Read industry-specific stories to identify emerging trends

Spot opportunities with in-depth insights that matter

Trump temper on H-1B visas is forcing Indians to do these things to stay put in US

What Adani’s US indictment means for India Inc’s overseas fundraising
Why veterans like Reliance, L&T are on acquisition spree? Aswath Damodaran has an answer.

Will China’s dollar bond sale in Saudi Arabia trump the US in financial world?
Huawei launches its own OS to compete with Google and Apple. But can it win beyond China?

The problem with lab grown diamonds
Why a falling rupee is a better option for the economy

A list of top 20 momentum stocks that have delivered massive returns in one year