Congress leader and Lok Sabha Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday intensified his attack on the Centre after another increase in petrol and diesel prices, accusing the government of quietly burdening citizens through repeated fuel hikes soon after elections.
The latest revision marks the fourth increase in fuel prices within just 10 days, triggering a fresh political battle between the opposition and the ruling government over inflation and rising living costs.
Rahul Gandhi Targets Modi Government
Launching a sharp criticism on social media, Rahul Gandhi claimed the government deliberately held fuel prices steady during the election period before gradually increasing rates after polling concluded.
Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi “Inflation Man Modi,” the Congress MP alleged that ordinary citizens were being “quietly fleeced” through staggered hikes in petrol and diesel prices.
“Inflation Man Modi strikes again. They raise petrol-diesel prices in installments so that your pocket keeps getting quietly fleeced,” Gandhi wrote on X.
He further claimed he had been warning about an economic crisis for months while accusing the government of prioritising elections over economic concerns.
“I’ve been warning for months about an economic storm coming. But Modi ji, as always, was busy with elections back then and the moment elections ended, petrol-diesel was hiked by ₹8,” he said.
Kharge Calls It ‘Fuel Loot’
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also attacked the BJP-led government, describing the repeated hikes as “Fuel Loot” and accusing the Centre of putting increasing pressure on households and businesses.
“The Daily Assault of FUEL LOOT is not over yet!” Kharge said while reacting to the latest increase.
He argued that every rise in fuel prices directly affects transport costs, farming expenses, small businesses and household budgets, worsening inflation across sectors.
Four Hikes in Just 10 Days
Fuel prices have seen multiple upward revisions in recent days:
- May 15: Petrol and diesel prices increased by ₹3 per litre
- May 19: Another hike of 90 paise per litre
- May 23: Petrol increased by 87 paise, diesel by 91 paise
- Monday: Fresh fuel price hike announced
The cumulative increase has significantly raised fuel costs across major Indian cities, intensifying concerns over inflation and cost of living.
Why Fuel Prices Are Rising
Officials and market experts attribute the repeated hikes to a combination of global and domestic economic pressures.
Key reasons include rising international crude oil prices, fluctuations in currency exchange rates and concerns over supply disruptions linked to tensions in West Asia.
The latest increases are expected to impact transportation costs, retail inflation and household spending, turning fuel prices into a major political issue once again.
