Kharge Questions Fuel Price Hike Despite Fall in Global Crude Oil Rates
Congress Targets Centre Over Rising Petrol, Diesel Costs and Mounting Inflation Burden
New Delhi, May 26: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday launched a sharp attack on the Modi government over the continuous rise in petrol and diesel prices, questioning why consumers were not given relief despite a decline in global crude oil prices over the past several years.
Referring to official data shared by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Kharge said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office on May 26, 2014, crude oil in the Indian basket was priced at USD 108.05 per barrel, while the Dollar-Rupee exchange rate stood at Rs 58.59.
At that time, petrol was being sold at Rs 71.51 per litre and diesel at Rs 56.71 per litre, he said in a post shared on X.
Kharge pointed out that although global crude oil prices have now fallen below USD 99 per barrel, fuel prices across the country have increased significantly. According to him, petrol is currently priced at Rs 102.12 per litre, while diesel costs Rs 95.20 per litre.
He claimed that despite cheaper crude oil, petrol prices have risen by nearly 42.8 percent and diesel prices by around 67.9 percent over the last 12 years.
The Congress leader argued that increasing fuel prices have a direct impact on inflation and affect every sector of the economy, including transportation, agriculture and essential commodities.
“Every economist understands that expensive petrol and diesel increase the cost of living for ordinary citizens. From transport services to food items, inflationary pressure continues to grow, yet the government keeps profiting from rising fuel prices,” Kharge said.
Raising questions over the Centre’s pricing policy, he asked why consumers were not receiving any benefit when international crude oil rates had declined.
“The question is simple when crude oil prices have come down, why have petrol and diesel become costlier?” he asked, while demanding relief for the public.
The Congress also intensified its criticism following the latest increase in fuel prices announced on Monday. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of burdening citizens with inflation and alleged that promises made during elections were not translating into economic relief for people.
Meanwhile, Kharge also questioned who was benefiting from what he described as a “daily robbery” through repeated hikes in fuel rates.
Petrol and diesel prices were increased by Rs 2.61 to Rs 2.71 per litre on Monday, marking the fourth hike in less than two weeks. State-owned fuel retailers cited rising international oil prices as the primary reason behind the latest revision.
