Kharge Slams Modi Government Over Fresh Fuel Price Hike, Asks Who Benefits From ‘Daily Robbery’

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday criticised the Modi government over the latest fuel price increase, questioning who was benefiting from what he described as a “daily robbery”.

Petrol and diesel prices were raised by Rs 2.61-2.71 per litre on Monday, marking the fourth increase in less than two weeks as state-owned fuel retailers continued passing on rising international oil prices to consumers.

In a post on X, Kharge said, "The Daily Assault of FUEL LOOT is not over yet! 4th hike in 10 days!! Petrol Rs 7.35/litre, Diesel Rs 7.53/litre. The Modi government has sprinkled petrol to burn the savings of common people." He argued that between 2004 and 2014, during the UPA government, international crude oil prices rose by 175.34 per cent, whereas under the Modi government, international crude prices had not increased by “even a single cent”.

"Despite that, the Modi government has hiked the petrol prices from Rs. 71.41 per litre in 2014 to Rs. 102.12 per litre in 2026, a rise of 43.01 per cent, and diesel prices from Rs 56.71 per litre to Rs 95.20 per litre, an increase of 67.87 per cent," he said.

Kharge further alleged that the Modi government had “looted” Rs 43 lakh crore over the past 12 years, amounting to Rs 1,000 every day.

"With the 4th time rise in Petrol and Diesel prices, today the shares of HPCL, BPCL and IOC rose by 5.8%, 4.44% and 3.90% respectively. Profit over People is BJP's DNA!" Kharge said.

"Every fuel price hike is another blow to household budgets, and has a cascading effect on every aspect of the economy. From Farmers to MSMEs, every strata of the society bears the brunt of BJP's LOOT," the Congress chief alleged.

"We repeat. Who is benefitting from this DAILY ROBBERY?" Kharge said in his post.

With the latest revision, cumulative increases in petrol and diesel prices have nearly reached Rs 7.5 per litre since fuel price revisions resumed on May 15 after a prolonged freeze, raising concerns about inflationary pressures and higher transportation costs across the economy.

According to industry sources, petrol prices increased by Rs 2.61 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.71 per litre in the latest revision.

In Delhi, petrol prices rose to Rs 102.12 per litre from Rs 99.51, while diesel increased to Rs 95.20 per litre from Rs 92.49.

The latest hike follows a prolonged freeze in retail fuel prices and comes amid elevated global crude oil prices, tightening refining margins and a weaker rupee, all of which have increased import costs.

Petrol and diesel prices were first raised by Rs 3 per litre each on May 15, followed by a 90-paise increase on May 19. Another revision on May 23 saw petrol prices rise by 87 paise per litre and diesel by 91 paise.

Following Monday’s increase, petrol at public sector fuel stations in Mumbai costs Rs 111.21 per litre and diesel Rs 97.83. In Kolkata, prices rose to Rs 113.51 and Rs 99.82 respectively, while in Chennai petrol is priced at Rs 107.77 and diesel at Rs 99.55.

Fuel prices vary across states due to differences in local taxes.

State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) together account for around 90 per cent of India’s fuel retail market.

The series of price hikes comes after global crude oil prices surged by more than 50 per cent since late February, following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.

Fuel retailers had kept pump prices unchanged during the first two-and-a-half months of the conflict despite rising input costs, with the government saying the move was intended to shield consumers from inflation. Opposition parties, however, accused the government of postponing price revisions until after key state elections.

The first increase on May 15 came shortly after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expanded its electoral footprint by winning three of five state and Union Territory elections, including West Bengal.

(with PTI inputs)