Government always lies when it comes to inflation: BJP

BJP on Wednesday rubbished all claims by the government that inflation will moderate by December, saying whenever the Manmohan Singh dispensation speaks on the issue it only tells lies and misleads the people.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday said at an editors conference that government has been taking steps to deal with the economy hit by the global slowdown and expressed hope that inflation would start moderating by December.

Asked for its views on this claim of the government, BJP said the government is not speaking the truth.

"Whenever there is a discussion on price rise, though we would not like to use such words, whether it is the Prime Minister or the Finance Minister, they lie to the country about the issue," BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

The opposition has treated inflation and price rise as the same and countered government claims that inflation is also an indicator of growth.

"On price rise, this government always lies to the people. In the last two years, its burden is now $ 5.8 trillion which people like you and I have to bear," Rudy told reporters.

The BJP has also said that the poor have been worst affected by price rise as their income has not increased while costs of essential commodities have gone up.