New Delhi, May 26: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday criticised the Modi government over rising fuel prices, asking why the public has not been given relief despite lower crude oil costs over the past 12 years.
Citing a PIB statement, Kharge noted that on May 26, 2014 — the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office — the Indian basket crude price was USD 108.05 per barrel and the rupee traded at Rs 58.59 to the dollar. At that time, petrol cost Rs 71.51 per litre and diesel Rs 56.71 per litre, he said in a post in Hindi on X.
“Today crude oil is below USD 99 per barrel, yet petrol and diesel retail at Rs 102.12 and Rs 95.20 per litre respectively,” Kharge said, adding that petrol has become about 42.8% costlier and diesel about 67.9% costlier despite cheaper crude. He warned that rising fuel costs ripple across the economy — from transport to food — intensifying inflationary pressure on ordinary people, and accused the government of “profiteering.”
“When crude prices have fallen, why have petrol and diesel become more expensive?” he asked, demanding relief for consumers.
The Congress has stepped up its attack after state-owned fuel retailers raised petrol and diesel by Rs 2.61–2.71 per litre on Monday — the fourth increase in under two weeks — passing on rising international oil costs to consumers. Party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have accused the government of burdening citizens with persistent inflation and called the hikes a form of “daily robbery.”
