TFP Bureau, Raipur, April 1, 2024: The Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee has raised alarm over the apparent nexus between pharmaceutical companies and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that recent hikes in medication prices are a direct consequence of corporate donations to the ruling party.
According to senior State Congress spokesperson Dhananjay Singh Thakur, pharmaceutical firms’ substantial contributions to the BJP, facilitated through electronic bonds and other channels, have led to a surge in the prices of over 1000 life-saving drugs, tonics, and injections by 12 to 14 percent. Thakur highlighted that over the past three years, medication costs have escalated by more than 42 percent, exacerbating the financial burden on patients already grappling with unemployment and inflation.
Thakur accused the BJP of fostering an environment of profiteering and cronyism, asserting that the party’s governance model prioritizes corporate interests over public welfare. He criticized the Modi government for failing to curb inflation and for allegedly colluding with pharmaceutical companies to exploit vulnerable patients for financial gain.
Moreover, the Congress has lambasted the BJP for purportedly using the cloak of Hindutva to conceal allegations of corruption. State Congress Communication Department Chairman Sushil Anand Shukla accused the ruling party of deflecting accountability by invoking nationalism, rather than addressing legitimate concerns of governance and integrity.
Shukla pointed to a litany of governance failures under the Vishnudev government, including a spike in crime rates, particularly crimes against women, and a deteriorating law and order situation marked by a surge in Naxal incidents. He highlighted instances of corruption and malfeasance within the administration, including alleged illegal extortion in the rice milling industry and coercive practices in GST enforcement.
As accusations of corruption mount against the BJP, the Congress contends that the ruling party’s recourse to religious rhetoric is a smokescreen aimed at evading accountability and deflecting public scrutiny. Amid escalating tensions between the political rivals, the fate of Chhattisgarh’s governance hangs in the balance, with the electorate poised to deliver its verdict in the upcoming elections.
