Fact Check: Did FM say 'Inflation hurts rich more than poor in 2022'?

New Delhi, May 16: India's retail inflation surged to an eight-year high of 7.79 per cent in April due to a sharp jump in fuel and edible oil prices, the government data showed, last week.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation in April 2022 is the highest since May 2014, when it stood at 8.33 per cent. Even as the common man is facing the brunt of the high inflation, a statement attributed to the Union Finance Ministry started doing rounds on WhatsApp, which took many by a surprise.

The message claimed that inflation will hurt the rich more than the poor in 2022. It was a tweet with a picture of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman which had spread like wildfire on new-age digital platforms.

However, it is a fake message which have been spread by miscreants to target the ruling government in general and the Finance Minister in particular.

A Tweet with the picture of Union Finance Minister @nsitharaman is being circulated claiming that the Finance Ministry has stated - "Inflation will affect the rich more than the poor in 2022"

#PIBFactCheck:

▶️ The Claim is #Fake

▶️ @FinMinIndia has not given such statement pic.twitter.com/DpwEWr7DJt

— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 15, 2022

Neither the Finance Ministry or Sitharaman has made such a remark. It has also been clarified by Press Information Bureau.