BJP-NDA will not comment on Danish Siddiqui’s death, inflation as they do not fit into ‘false narrative’: Chidambaram

PTI, Jul 18, 2021, 8:32 PM IST

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday attacked the BJP and the NDA, saying they will not comment on Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui’s tragic death and soaring inflation as the two matters do not fit into ”their false narrative” of “we have security, development and welfare”.

Siddiqui was killed in Afghanistan while covering fighting between Afghan troops and the Taliban.

”Danish Siddique’s tragic death and soaring Inflation are two subjects on which the BJP-NDA will not comment.

”Because both do not fit into the their false narrative of ‘we have security, development and welfare’,” Chidambaram tweeted.

While Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has condoled the death of Siddiqui, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had also said at the UN Security Council that India strongly condemns the killing of Siddiqui in Afghanistan.

However, many opposition leaders and BJP’s critics alleged that the ruling dispensation did not strongly take note of Siddiqui’s death and his contribution.

Chidambaram also hit out at the government over rising inflation.

”According to the National Statistics Office’s press release dated July 12, 2021, India’s Consumer Price Inflation has breached the upper limit of the range determined by the government and the RBI,” he said.

The range is 4 plus/minus 2 percent, but the CPI is 6.23 percent, Chidambaram pointed out.

”Urban CPI has spurted from 5.91 percent in May to 6.37 percent in June. Core inflation has moved up in a month from 5.5 percent to 5.8 percent,” he said.

”Food inflation is at 5.58 percent. Pulses inflation is at 10.01 percent. Fruits inflation is at 11.82 percent.

”Transport inflation is at 11.56 percent. Fuel & Light inflation is at 12.68 percent. And Oils and Fats inflation is at 34.78 percent,” Chidambaram said in a series of tweets and tagged BJP chief J P Nadda.