From a pamphlet published by Eddelu Karnataka, Translation: Naveen Prasad Alex
Deception1: Price hike – Govt’s daily loot
What BJP Offered?
If BJP comes to power they will bring back black money and curb inflation by reducing prices of essential commodities. The price of petrol will be reduced. All BPL families will be given free gas cylinder.
What actually happens?
In the last ten years of BJP rule, the prices of all essentials have doubled or more. Look at the example below.
| Commodities | Price in 2014 | Price in 2024 |
| Gas cylinder | 410 | 906 * |
| Diesel | 62 | 93 |
| Vegetable oil | 72 | 906 |
| Wheat flour | 35 | 60 |
| Dal (lentils) | 75 | 150 |
*Gas cylinder crossed Rs 1200, with a slight decrease as the elections neared.
The above list is just a few examples. Hotel tariffs, bus charges, train charges, vegetables, meat, fish, clothes, shoes, cement, iron, school fees, and hospital bills – everything skyrocketed. At every stage, common people were robbed and cheated.
What are the reasons for this?
Three lies told by BJP:
1. The increase in the price of crude oil in the international market has led to an increase in the price of petrol
2. Repayment of debts incurred by previous Congress government on oil bonds
3. Free vaccine had to be given during covid epidemic and free rice under Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Aahar scheme.
Real Reasons:
Although the reason is attributed to the alleged rise in crude oil prices in the international market, the reality is the opposite:
1. In 2014, the price of crude oil was 110 dollars per barrel, and in 2023 it will drop to 76 dollars.
2. Increased cess on petrol and diesel, reduction in subsidies and GST imposed on all consumer goods are the main reasons for the price hike.
3. The tax on petrol was doubled during this period. (Increased from 9.48 per cent to 19.98 per litre)
4. The subsidy on gas cylinder has been withdrawn. (Rs. 500 per cylinder). A GST tax of 12-18 percent is levied on basic necessities of poor families like salt, rice, wheat and essential medicines. However, the GST on luxury cars bought by the rich is only 4 percent. GST for diamond is just 1.5 percent. Now tell me, whose side is the government on?
5. Expenditure has gone up with the rise in petrol and diesel prices, leading to price hikes across all commodities. GST is levied on consumers, not on companies that sell goods. It increased the price of all kinds of goods.
Let’s see where the money disappeared to:
1. The additional revenue received by the government due to increase in tax on petrol is Rs 26.74 lakh crore.
2. The additional revenue received by the government from the imposition of GST on all goods is Rs 31.25 lakh crore.
3. Add these two together and the total additional revenue is a whopping Rs 58 lakh crore.
4. The cost of two doses of free vaccine is Rs 36,500 crore.
The vaccine was not completely free, in some places a single dose of the vaccine costing Rs 150 was given free. Serum Institute was allowed to sell a single dose of vaccine costing Rs 150 for Rs 600 and Rs 700. The owner of this firm has made thousands of crores of profit and is one of the richest people in the world. He donated one thousand crore rupees to BJP. 4.6 lakh crores have been spent on Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. This government spent Rs 1.03 crore on repayment of petroleum bonds loans. Did this government need to extort 58 lakh crore from the people to pay back the Rs 1 lakh crore taken by the Congress government?
Now let’s look at the figures they claim to have spent and then see how much profit they have made.
Expenses
- Petroleum bonds -Rs 1.03 lakh crore
- Free vaccine – Rs 36,500 crore
- Garib Aahar Yojana – Rs 4.6 lakh crore
Total – 6 Lakh Crore Rs
Income
Cess and GST on petrol and diesel: Rs 56 lakh crore
52 Lakh Crores of Rs.52 Lakh Crores left over after expenses was looted directly from the people by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government.
(To be continued)
About Eddelu Karnataka
Eddelu Karnataka is an independent civil society platform and campaign.It is not affiliated with any political party. Its soul is the thinkers, writers and artists who are the conscience keepers of the nation and democracy. The strength of Eddelu is the combination of organizations and grassroots movements of farmers, workers, Dalits, students, youth, women, LGBTQIA movemnts etc., who have been working selflessly for the welfare of the people for many decades, from various communities (Dalit, Tribal, Tribal, Backward Classes, Vokalinga, Lingayat, minority communities and other exploited sections) and it is a broad civil society.
About Translator
Naveen Prasad Alex is a master’s student in biological sciences at the University of Turku, Finland. He is a Junior Fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences and has authored two books in Malayalam. He is also passionate about Anti-caste movements, Anthropology and politics.
