New Delhi, May 23 (H.S.): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Central government over the continuous rise in petroleum prices, alleging that the public is being burdened with repeated increases in the prices of petrol, diesel, CNG and LPG despite a decline in global crude oil prices.

In a post on social media platform X, Kharge said fuel prices had been increased for the third time in the last ten days. He accused the government of attempting to evade responsibility by arguing that fuel prices in India remain lower than in several other countries, while ignoring the fact that many nations provided relief to their citizens during periods of crisis through tax cuts and subsidy packages.

The Congress chief said countries such as Italy, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland had reduced taxes on fuel or announced subsidies to shield citizens from the impact of rising global uncertainty and tensions in West Asia. In contrast, he alleged, India continues to raise fuel prices, directly affecting the finances of ordinary citizens.

Kharge stated that inflation was already a major challenge for the public and that the continued rise in petroleum prices would further increase transportation costs, food prices and the overall cost of daily essentials. He said the middle class, farmers, small traders and low-income groups would be the worst affected by the latest price hikes.

He pointed out that fuel prices have been revised upward several times over the past month. According to Kharge, the first major increase came on May 1, when the price of commercial LPG cylinders was raised by Rs 993, taking the price in Delhi to Rs 3,071.50 per cylinder.

He further noted that on May 15, petrol and diesel prices were increased by Rs 3 per litre each, while CNG prices were also raised by Rs 2 per kilogram on the same day. This was followed by another hike on May 18, when petrol and diesel prices were increased by nearly 90 paise per litre and CNG prices were raised by Rs 1 per kilogram.

Referring to the latest revision on Saturday, May 23, Kharge said petrol prices in Delhi had risen by another 87 paise per litre, taking the retail price to Rs 99.51 per litre, while diesel became costlier by 91 paise and reached Rs 92.49 per litre.

The Congress president demanded that the Central government reduce taxes on petroleum products and provide immediate relief to the public.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar