Randhawa Says Modi’s Do Not Buy Gold Msg Ruin for 3.5Cr Goldsmiths Archives - Chandigarh City News

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Former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and Member of Parliament from Gurdaspur, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, launched a sharp attack on the Modi-led central government over the increase in prices of petrol, diesel, CNG, and cooking gas. He alleged that with rising tensions in West Asia and the conclusion of elections, the government has once again burdened the public by hiking LPG, petrol, and diesel prices, triggering a fresh wave of inflation. He said that even when international crude oil prices remained consistently low, the central government failed to provide any relief to the public and continued heavy tax collection. For the past 12 years, this government has focused not on giving relief to ordinary citizens, but on emptying their pockets. Randhawa stated that people suffering under inflation, unemployment, and heavy taxation have now understood the anti-people policies of the central government. Therefore, he urged the Punjab government to reduce VAT on petrol and diesel by ₹5 each to provide relief to the public. He warned that if the Aam Aadmi Party government does not immediately reduce VAT, it will become clear that both the central and Punjab governments are jointly burdening the people with inflation. He further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government repeatedly uses global circumstances as an excuse to impose economic burdens on common people, whereas the reality is that the central government has been heavily taxing petroleum products for years. He claimed that between 2014 and 2025, the government imposed an average excise duty of ₹19.70 per litre on petrol and ₹15.50 per litre on diesel, continuously exploiting the public. During this period, excise duty was revised 21 times, including 12 increases. He added that although the central government announced a reduction in excise duty on petrol and diesel on March 27, 2026, the benefit never reached the public. Randhawa alleged that the Modi government is merely indulging in publicity and headline management politics, while the real benefits were passed on to oil companies. Randhawa also said that Narendra Modi’s message urging people not to buy gold has become a signal of destruction for nearly 3.5 crore small goldsmiths, artisans, and workers. He said that while the central government makes grand claims about strengthening the economy, it is simultaneously weakening a major employment-generating sector like the jewellery industry. He further stated that the Modi government increased import duty on gold and silver from 6 percent to 15 percent, directly impacting small traders and artisans. The jewellery sector contributes nearly 7 percent to India’s GDP and supports around 50 lakh artisans and 3.5 crore people. Despite this, the central government’s policies are pushing the sector towards economic crisis.

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Randhawa Says Modi’s ‘Do Not Buy Gold’ Message Signals Ruin for...

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