New Delhi, 18 May (H.S.): Congress Party National President Mallikarjun Kharge has launched a sharp attack on the Union Government over the recent price increases in petrol, diesel, CNG, and industrial gas cylinders across the country. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of concealing decisions related to inflation before the state assembly elections and raising fuel and gas prices immediately after the polls concluded.
While sharing a video on the social media platform X, Mallikarjun Kharge stated that if petrol, diesel, and other essential commodity prices had been hiked before the assembly elections in five states, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would have faced severe political backlash. He alleged that the Union Government hid these issues from the public until the elections ended, after which it immediately increased prices.
The Congress president accused the Centre of lacking foresight, saying that continuously rising inflation is making it increasingly difficult for the poor and middle-class citizens to afford essential items. He pledged that the Congress would vigorously raise this issue across the country.
In the video, while speaking to journalists, Kharge said the government kept petrol, diesel, and gas prices under control before the elections, but abruptly raised them immediately afterward. This, he said, clearly demonstrates that the government is not serious about the public's troubles.
It is noteworthy that prices of petrol, diesel, CNG, and industrial cylinders were increased this very month. On May 17, CNG prices in Delhi-NCR were raised by ₹1 per kilogram, pushing the rate in Delhi from ₹79.09 to ₹80.09 per kilogram.
Earlier, on May 15, petrol and diesel prices were hiked by ₹3 per liter each. In Delhi, petrol rose from ₹94.77 to ₹97.77 per liter, while diesel increased from ₹87.67 to ₹90.67 per liter. Major cities including Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai also recorded price hikes ranging from ₹2.8 to ₹3.3.
Additionally, on May 1, the price of a 19-kilogram commercial LPG cylinder was significantly increased. In Delhi, the rate was raised from ₹2,078.50 to ₹3,071.50 per cylinder.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
