Congress targets Centre, takes ‘inflation man’ swipe at PM Modi
New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday moved against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government when petrol and diesel prices were hiked by nearly 90 paise per litre, marking the second fuel price hike in less than a week after state-run oil companies ended a nearly four-year standstill.Sharing a post on its official X account, the grand old party said, “Inflation man ‘Modi’s whip hits public again. Petrol, diesel prices hiked by 90 paise.” “This is just the beginning. Inflationary people will take out more now that the election is over,” it added.The post also said, “Modi hiked prices by Rs 4 in last 4 days. As a result of this hike, petrol has reached Rs 109 and diesel at Rs 96 in the country.”Fuel prices increased for the second timeThe latest hike pushed petrol prices to Rs 98.64 per liter from Rs 97.77 in New Delhi, while diesel prices rose to Rs 91.58 from Rs 90.67, according to PTI sources.Days after state-run oil marketing agencies on Friday hiked petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre, the first amendment in more than four years, linked to rising global crude oil prices around the ongoing Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz.Rates vary across states due to differences in value added tax (VAT). Petrol price in Mumbai is now Rs 107.59 per liter and diesel is Rs 94.08 per litre. In Kolkata, petrol price has increased by Rs 109.70 and diesel by Rs 96.07 per litre, while in Chennai, petrol is now priced at Rs 104.49 per liter and diesel at Rs 96.11.CNG price has also increasedCompressed Natural Gas (CNG) prices have also seen multiple hikes this month. On May 15, CNG prices were hiked by Rs 2 per kg in cities including Delhi and Mumbai, and another hike of Rs 1 per kg on Sunday.Global crude oil prices have risen more than 50 percent since the February 28 US-Israeli attack on Iran, and Tehran’s retaliation has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.Despite the sharp rise in crude prices, retail fuel rates in India remained frozen for months. The government earlier said the freeze was aimed at protecting consumers from global energy shocks.Earlier on Monday, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India has successfully avoided shortages in crude oil, LPG and pipeline natural gas despite two major global conflicts that have disrupted international energy markets in the last four years.Addressing reporters after attending the DISHA committee meeting in Varanasi, Puri said, “Today is close to 80 days of war in West Asia. Before that, the Russia-Ukraine war started in February 2022. These are two major wars in four years, and both have caused massive disruption to the global energy sector.”However, opposition parties alleged that fuel prices were deliberately kept unchanged till the end of elections in key states.After Tuesday’s revision, petrol and diesel prices touched their highest level since May 2022 Fuel prices remained largely unchanged from April 2022, except for a one-time cut of Rs 2 per liter in petrol and diesel announced ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in March 2024.
