"They have taken sweetness out of festivals": Congress organises 'sugar langar' in Chandigarh amid rising sugar prices

Alleging that rising sugar prices have taken the "sweetness out of people's festivals", the Chandigarh Congress organised a 'Sugar Langar' in the city on Wednesday, distributing sugar to people and targeting the BJP-led Centre over inflation and rising prices of essential commodities.

Alleging that rising sugar prices have taken the "sweetness out of people's festivals", the Chandigarh Congress organised a 'Sugar Langar' in the city on Wednesday, distributing sugar to people and targeting the BJP-led Centre over inflation and rising prices of essential commodities. Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky said the initiative was aimed at helping people facing the impact of rising prices while also making a political statement against the Union government.

"They have taken the sweetness out of people's festivals; this is a small effort by the Congress party to bring that sweetness back," Lucky told ANI. He alleged that despite the BJP government's promise to curb inflation, prices of essential commodities have continued to rise while employment opportunities have remained limited.

"The Modi government came to power promising to curb inflation within 100 days, yet 12 years have passed. New jobs are not being created, and people lack employment. Sources of income are steadily shrinking, while inflation keeps rising," Lucky said. The Congress leader claimed that sugar, which earlier cost around Rs 25-30 per kilogram, is now selling at Rs 70-75 per kilogram. He also cited rising prices of onions, tomatoes, mustard oil and pulses as evidence of increasing pressure on household budgets.

"Sugar, which used to cost Rs 25-Rs 30 per kilogram, has now reached Rs 70-Rs 75 per kilogram. Prices of onions, tomatoes, and mustard oil are all soaring; pulses have touched Rs 150 per kilogram," he said. Lucky said the Chandigarh Congress would organise similar distribution drives for other essential commodities in the coming days.

"In the coming days, we will organise similar drives for pulses, onions, tomatoes, and mustard oil across the city--in every village, colony, and sector," he said. He described the programme as both a public outreach initiative and a form of political satire aimed at highlighting what the party described as the Centre's failure to control inflation.

"While this aims to help the poor, we also intend to make a political statement--a form of political satire--regarding the Modi government, as it is running away from its responsibilities," Lucky said. The Congress campaign comes a day after Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also raised concerns over rising sugar prices, linking them to the government's ethanol-blending policy.

Kejriwal alleged that 25 lakh tonnes of sugarcane had been diverted for ethanol production, contributing to higher sugar prices. He also announced a town hall to discuss the technical and economic implications of E20 fuel. The AAP leader questioned the government's approach to ethanol blending and claimed that automobile manufacturers and industry stakeholders had raised concerns over the policy. (ANI)