New Delhi, May 23 (H.S.): The Congress on Saturday questioned the Central Government’s intentions over the continuous rise in the prices of petrol, diesel, cooking gas, and other essential commodities. Congress Research Department Chairman Rajeev Gowda and party spokesperson and former Lok Sabha candidate Dolly Sharma alleged that soaring inflation has severely disrupted household budgets, while the government is burdening citizens instead of providing relief.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi, Rajeev Gowda said that people across the country are now watching to see which will hit a “century” first — petrol prices or the rupee-dollar exchange rate. He alleged that the government had increased petrol prices by nearly Rs 5 within a single week, imposing an additional financial burden on the public at a time when people are already under economic stress.

Gowda stated that during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, crude oil prices had crossed 140 dollars per barrel, yet the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh-led government provided subsidies to shield citizens from the impact. In contrast, he claimed that after 2014, the Narendra Modi government failed to pass on the benefits of falling global crude oil prices to consumers and is now shifting the entire burden of rising prices onto ordinary citizens.

He further alleged that the government has been using the additional revenue generated from higher fuel prices to manage its financial position. Similar to the dividends received from the Reserve Bank of India and public sector undertakings, petroleum sector revenues, he said, are being used to support the government’s economic management.

Gowda claimed that India has become increasingly dependent on imported crude oil, LPG, and natural gas. Referring to developments from 2005, he said the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation had then claimed to have discovered the country’s largest gas reserves in the Krishna-Godavari Basin, and Narendra Modi had asserted at the time that it would make India self-reliant in the energy sector. However, he alleged that several reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) later described it as a scam worth Rs 20,000 crore, which was subsequently buried through its merger with ONGC.

He also said that rising fertiliser prices are adding to the burden on farmers. If the government indeed possesses adequate oil and gas reserves, as claimed by the Prime Minister and the Petroleum Minister, then fuel prices should not be increasing, he argued. According to Gowda, the government should bear the burden of price hikes itself rather than passing it on to the public.

During the press conference, Dolly Sharma said that citizens wake up every morning to news of rising prices of petrol, diesel, and cooking gas. She stated that Congress governments had always attempted to provide relief to the public, whereas ordinary people today are facing relentless economic dpressure.

She remarked that even a basic breakfast cannot be purchased for Rs 100 anymore. Sharma further alleged that despite low crude oil prices globally in the past, petrol and diesel prices in India were not reduced, allowing oil companies to earn massive profits without benefiting consumers.

Comparing India with neighbouring countries, Sharma said that nations such as Nepal are reducing petrol and diesel prices, while India continues to increase them. She pointed out that migrant labourers, construction workers, and daily wage earners cannot work from home, yet they are forced to bear the burden of expensive LPG cylinders and rising costs of daily necessities.

According to Sharma, rising transportation costs have increased the prices of milk, flour, rice, pulses, edible oil, vegetables, and almost all essential commodities. She claimed that milk prices have risen by three percent, flour and rice by 12.5 percent, tur dal by 15 percent, and vegetables by 10 to 25 percent.

She further stated that people associated with the taxi, auto-rickshaw, and transport sectors are resorting to strikes, while household budgets have collapsed and debt burdens on families are continuously increasing.

Referring to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Sharma said he had recently interacted with a family that was reportedly burdened with debt amounting to Rs 11 lakh. She alleged that the government remains insensitive towards the concerns of youth and students.

Sharma also accused the government of waiving loans worth thousands of crores for industrialists while withdrawing subsidies meant for ordinary citizens. According to her, rising inflation is impacting the middle class, labourers, and low-income groups the most.

Notably, the prices of petrol, diesel, CNG, and LPG have witnessed multiple hikes over the past month. On May 1, the price of commercial LPG cylinders was reportedly increased by Rs 993, taking the price in Delhi to Rs 3,071.50. Later, on May 15, petrol and diesel prices were increased by Rs 3 per litre each, while CNG prices were simultaneously raised by Rs 2 per kilogram.

Subsequently, on May 18, petrol and diesel prices were further increased by nearly 90 paise per litre, while CNG became costlier by Re 1 per kilogram. On Saturday, May 23, petrol prices in Delhi rose by another 87 paise per litre, reaching Rs 99.51 per litre, while diesel prices increased by 91 paise to Rs 92.49 per litre.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar