Chandigarh, August 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Hundreds of Punjab Congress workers staged a protest in Chandigarh on Wednesday against rising sugar prices, accusing the BJP-led Central government of adopting policies that have increased the burden on ordinary consumers.
The protest was led by Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring. As a symbolic gesture, party workers served tea without sugar, saying the commodity had become unaffordable for the common man.
Addressing the protesters, Warring alleged that policies of the Narendra Modi government had contributed to a sharp increase in the prices of essential commodities and claimed that inflation was putting growing pressure on household budgets.
Quoting price data, the Punjab Congress chief said retail and wholesale sugar prices had risen by around 40 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year, with the increase touching 50 per cent in some states. He said sugar prices had crossed Rs 65 per kg in eight states.
Warring attributed the rise to what he termed flawed government policies concerning sugar exports and ethanol production. He said sugar prices had increased from Rs 48 to Rs 67 per kg over the past three months, while jaggery prices had risen from Rs 50 to Rs 65 per kg.
“First exports, then diversion for ethanol and now imports to control inflation,” Warring said, questioning the government's policy approach.
He asked why repeated government intervention was needed to control prices of essential commodities if its economic and agricultural policies were effective.
Warring also linked rising food and transport costs to the government's E20 ethanol-blending policy. He questioned why petrol prices had not declined despite claims that ethanol blending would generate savings for consumers.
Referring to a projection made by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari in 2018, Warring said the government had then indicated that greater ethanol blending could provide significant relief on petrol and diesel prices. He questioned why consumers continued to pay high petrol prices.
The Congress leader also sought an explanation for rising prices of flour, pulses, cooking oil, sugar, jaggery, onions and other essential commodities.
Among those participating in the protest were AICC secretary Ravinder Dalvi, former ministers Balbir Singh Sidhu and Hardayal Kambhoj, and Congress leaders Kuljeet Singh Nagra, Gursharan Randhawa, Naresh Duggal, Ashwani Sharma, Ajay Mangupur, Surinder Singh, Jagdev Gaga, Kamal Kishore, Nishat Akhtar, Baljit Kaur and Gurpreet Lucky Pakho.