"Why the poorest 5 pc spending only Rs 46 daily?:" Congress slams Modi govt's poverty elimination data

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday attacked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government saying that if it has eliminated poverty, then why people were forced to commit suicide due to financial constraints and the poorest five percent spending only Rs 46 daily.

Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, party leader Supriya Shrinate said, "In 2022, more than 7000 people committed suicide due to financial constraints, every hour two farmers are forced to end their lives and everyday 40 youth die by suicide out of despair".

Supriya said that according to Modi Government, if only seven crore people are poor in the country then why do 81 crore people have to be given free ration? Moreover why do 35 crore people have no means of transportation and 45 crore people have no television?

She further alleged that there has been a decline in daily use items which proves that people are not able to spend. Adding that two years ago India's domestic saving rate was 11 percent above GDP but in two years this ratio has fallen to five percent.

"The reduction of savings rate to less than half proves that people are struggling with inflation, poverty and economic inequality," the Congress leader said.

She also alleged that the NITI Aayog was giving different figures related to poverty and demanded from the government that which these reports were true.

Supriya said that the NITI Aayog survey has proved that the gap is growing between the rich and the poor of the country.

Citing the report, the Congress leader said that if the five percent richest living in rural areas are spending Rs 350 daily then the five percent poorest spend Rs 46 per day. While, the five percent richest in urban area spend Rs 700 daily, the five percent poorest spend Rs 67 a day.

"Our leaders Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have been raising the issue of wide gap between the rich and the poor," she said.

Supriya Shrinate said that the country's economic credibility was being destroyed by bringing such misleading surveys and demanded that the government comes up with the correct report.