The Congress has raised concerns over the recent increase in prices of several essential food items and questioned the Narendra Modi government’s response to inflation. Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh criticised the Centre over the issue and used the phrase Kya Hua Tera Vada while questioning the government’s handling of rising household expenses.
Ramesh referred to increases in the prices of spices, pulses and cooking oils and said that higher food costs were putting pressure on household budgets. His remarks were made in a political context and represent the Congress party’s criticism of the central government.
According to the figures cited by Ramesh, prices of several commonly used spices increased during the month. He said green cardamom rose from Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,400 per kilogram, while black cardamom increased from Rs 2,400 to Rs 2,800 per kilogram. He also cited an increase in cumin prices from Rs 360 to Rs 400 per kilogram and mace prices from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per kilogram.
The Congress leader also highlighted increases in the prices of pulses. He said arhar dal increased from Rs 100 to Rs 130 per kilogram, chana dal increased from Rs 70 to Rs 100 per kilogram and urad dal rose from Rs 120 to Rs 140 per kilogram. These figures were presented by Ramesh as evidence of increasing household food expenses.
Cooking oil prices were also mentioned in the Congress criticism. Ramesh said mustard oil had increased from Rs 190 to Rs 210 per litre, while the price of Safola oil had increased from Rs 240 to Rs 280 per litre.
One of the main points raised by the Congress concerned onion prices. Ramesh said the all India average retail price of onions increased from Rs 29.50 per kilogram in June to Rs 53.78 per kilogram in September. Based on these figures, he described the increase as 82.3 percent over approximately three and a half months.
The government’s Department of Consumer Affairs price monitoring system separately reported an all India average retail onion price of Rs 52.86 per kilogram on September 20, 2026. The same official database reported average retail prices of Rs 45.51 per kilogram for rice, Rs 122.81 for tur or arhar dal and Rs 121.67 for urad dal on that date.
The latest official inflation data also indicates that food prices have been an important factor in the recent movement in consumer inflation. According to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, India’s consumer price inflation increased to 4.82 percent in August 2026 from 4.45 percent in July. Food inflation increased to 5.95 percent in August from 5.52 percent in July. Rural food inflation was recorded at 6.13 percent, while urban food inflation stood at 5.64 percent.
Independent economic analysis has also pointed to increases in the prices of some food items. A September report from Crisil Intelligence said that the cost of a home cooked vegetarian meal increased by 1 percent year on year in August, while the cost of a non vegetarian meal increased by 5 percent. It identified higher prices of onions, vegetable oil, rice and liquefied petroleum gas among the factors keeping meal costs elevated.
Business Standard, citing Bloomberg reporting, also noted that higher prices of onions, cooking oil, ginger and other staple items were putting pressure on household food expenses. The report referred to supply related factors and other economic conditions affecting food prices.
The Congress has used the issue of rising food prices to question the Centre’s economic policies. Ramesh asked why the Prime Minister had not addressed the issue of inflation and called for immediate measures to provide relief to consumers. These statements are part of the opposition party’s political criticism of the central government.
The central government’s position should be distinguished from the Congress allegations. The available reports on the latest remarks do not establish that every price increase cited by Congress was caused by a single government policy. Food prices can be affected by several factors, including supply, production, seasonal changes, transportation costs, international commodity prices and market demand.
The issue of food prices remains significant because essential commodities account for an important part of household expenditure. Changes in the prices of onions, pulses, cooking oil and spices can therefore affect monthly household budgets, particularly when several items become more expensive at the same time.
The current discussion has consequently developed on two levels. The Congress has focused on the impact of higher prices on ordinary households and has questioned the Centre’s response. Official data, meanwhile, provides updated information on retail prices and inflation, allowing the changes in individual commodities and overall consumer prices to be assessed separately.
The debate over inflation is expected to remain an important political and economic issue as households, policymakers and political parties monitor the prices of essential commodities. Future price movements will depend on supply conditions, agricultural production, market arrivals, global commodity trends and government measures.
For consumers, the key issue remains the actual retail price of essential commodities and how those prices affect household expenditure. Official price monitoring data and inflation statistics will continue to provide important indicators of these changes.
The Congress criticism has therefore brought renewed political attention to food prices, while official data confirms that food inflation increased in August. The extent to which individual commodity prices change in the coming weeks will be important in determining the direction of overall food inflation and its impact on household budgets.