'Check out popular fiction in India…': Shashi Tharoor's jab at Centre

Earlier today Shashi Tharoor also tweeted a chart comparing prices of essential goods - like rice, sugar, milk and oil - under the Congress-led UPA and the BJP-led NDA governments.

Updated on: May 20, 2022, 18:43:46 IST

By HT News Desk

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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took a jab at the government Friday, tweeting a photograph of a book on the centre's response to the Covid pandemic - with prime minister Narendra Modi on the cover – that was placed in the 'popular fiction' section of an unidentified book shop. "Check out popular fiction in India these days!" he tweeted. The book in question was 'A nation to protect: Leading India through the Covid crisis' by Priyam Gandhi-Mody.

The centre was slammed by the opposition during the first two years of the Covid pandemic, with management of health infrastructure and medical resources, collection of data on cases and deaths, and vaccine development and distribution some of the issues raised by the Congress and others.

Earlier today the Lok Sabha MP from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram also tweeted a chart comparing the prices of essential goods - like rice, atta, wheat, sugar, milk and oil - between May 2014 (under the Congress-led UPA government) and five years later, when the BJP was in power.

READ: Tharoor compares commodity prices between UPA and NDA time, says…

"One more difference between the UPA era & the NDA: you feel it daily!" he said, adding the hashtag #inflation. The chart indicated prices of packed palm oil and vanaspati had surged by over 100 per cent each between 2014 and 2019. That of soya oil and sunflower oil had increased by over 95 per cent each, and that of tomatoes, groundnut oil, and dal had jumped by over 50 per cent each.

The price of basic commodities and fuel have skyrocketed over the past few months, with Russia's war on Ukraine triggering shortages of key products like wheat, cooking oil and crude oil.

Prices of LPG (liquified petroleum gas) cylinders used by crores of Indian households to cook food have also spiked; this week they crossed the ₹1,000-mark in several major cities.

READ: Domestic LPG prices hiked again, crosses ₹1,000-mark in Delhi

Wholesale inflation in India touched 15.08 per cent in April - the highest in 27 years - driven upwards largely by power and fuel prices and affected by the conflict in Ukraine. A few days earlier retail inflation in April was 7.79 per cent, the highest in precisely eight years.

READ: WPI inflation at record high of 15.08% in April

Petrol and diesel prices were hiked 14 times March 22-April 6.

The government has blamed the war in Ukraine, particularly for the sharp increase in fuel prices.

Tharoor wasn't the only Congress leader to hit out at the government on this topic; Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday compared the price rise in India to crisis-hit Sri Lanka; 'looks a lot like Sri Lanka', he said sharing graphs of rising petrol prices, unemployment and communal violence in the two nations.

READ: 'Looks a lot like Sri Lanka': Rahul Gandhi's swipe over price rise

"Distracting people won't change the facts…" Rahul Gandhi said.

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HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

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