# BJP minister says sugar should be expensive, draws flak 2026-08-26T18:56:45+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said sugar should become very expensive and advised people above 40 to avoid it, triggering a political row. Speaking in Indore, the BJP leader suggested cheap sugar be restricted to government fair-price shops for children, and claimed 90% of people no longer like sweets. He said Ayurveda doctors advise against sugar for those over 40, and that he does not eat sweets himself. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari accused BJP leaders of making absurd statements while people face inflation. He said voters would give a befitting reply in upcoming elections. Opposition parties have also blamed the government's ethanol blending policy for higher sugar prices, which the government rejects. Retail sugar prices rose for a second straight day to Rs 65.05 per kg on August 26, from Rs 63.97 a day earlier, government data showed. This comes despite ex-mill prices falling nearly 20% after the government allowed imports of 10 lakh tonnes of raw sugar. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Both outlets report the same facts straight. Times of India leads with Vijayvargiya's 'odd take' framing, Mathrubhumi leads with 'sparks row', a slight edge toward controversy. Neither outlet gives space to the government's defence on ethanol or sugar stocks. The core story remains a politician's personal health advice colliding with inflation pain. The next flashpoint will be whether the opposition turns this into a campaign plank in Madhya Pradesh's year-end assembly elections. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Straight report of minister's remarks and Congress reaction, with price data - english.mathrubhumi.com (neutral report) Straight report, includes opposition ethanol criticism but no slant This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-26T20:57:16+00:00. Tags: BJP, Congress, Jitu Patwari, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Madhya Pradesh, sugar prices Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/let-sugar-become-expensive-says-mp-minister-vijayvargiya/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/let-sugar-become-expensive-says-mp-minister-vijayvargiya/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/