Congress MP urges Modi to drop 'Mann Ki Baat' as food prices soar ahead of Diwali

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set aside his 'Mann Ki Baat' and tackle soaring food prices as Diwali approaches. Ramesh shared on X a media report citing the RBI that prices of several food items are climbing steadily, hurting every household's budget. He added that retail dry‑fruit prices have jumped ahead of the festival, with pistachios, almonds, cashews and cardamom each rising between ₹10 and ₹300 per kilogram. Inflation data released by the government shows onions up 85% over the past four months and sugar up 34%. In the last month, tomatoes rose 8.5%, arhar dal 3.5% and chana dal 3.1%. Almonds now cost ₹1,300 per kg and green cardamom has surged by ₹300. Ramesh criticised the Prime Minister for highlighting GDP growth while ignoring the strain of runaway inflation on families, noting that real income has stagnated or fallen over the past decade. The Congress party has repeatedly flagged the issue, calling the government's policies anti‑people. The government, in turn, brushed aside the accusations and pointed to strong GDP figures as evidence of economic health. ## Context The price spikes come just before Diwali, a period when Indian families traditionally spend more on food and gifts, making inflation a especially painful burden for low‑ and middle‑income households.