- Fuel prices increased by Rs 3/litre due to global crude oil.
- BJP defends hike, stating India’s rise is lower than other nations.
- Opposition criticizes government for burdening citizens post-elections.
- Oil companies assure sufficient supply despite global pressures.
The hike in petrol and diesel prices across India on Friday triggered a sharp political confrontation, with the BJP defending the increase as modest compared to global trends, while opposition parties accused the Narendra Modi government of burdening ordinary citizens.
Oil companies raised petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre each after mounting pressure from soaring global crude oil prices linked to the ongoing West Asia conflict. Following the revision, petrol in Delhi is now priced at Rs 97.77 per litre, while diesel costs Rs 99.67 per litre.
The increase comes amid growing concerns over inflation, rising transportation costs and pressure on household budgets as global energy markets remain volatile due to the Iran war.
BJP Says India Better Placed Than Other Countries
Defending the fuel price hike, BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said the increase in India was significantly lower compared to many other countries affected by the global energy crisis.
“Compared to other nations, fuel prices in India have risen less. The government is making every possible effort to ensure the minimum burden falls on the public,” Hussain told ABP News.
He also accused opposition parties of trying to provoke people over the issue.
“The public stands with the government, but the opposition is isolated. The opposition should stop instigating people,” he said.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju echoed a similar line, arguing that India had managed the crisis better than most countries despite crude oil prices surging above $100 per barrel.
“As the world battled rising fuel costs after the West Asia conflict, India stood apart,” Rijiju wrote on X.
He claimed that while several countries witnessed fuel price hikes ranging from 20 per cent to nearly 100 per cent, India had limited the increase to around 3 per cent for both petrol and diesel.
Rijiju also said public sector oil companies had absorbed heavy losses for weeks to shield citizens from inflationary pressure.
ALSO READ | Petrol, Diesel Price Hike: Govt Says India Avoided A Bigger Fuel Crisis
Indian Oil Says Supply Situation Under Pressure
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) also defended the revision, calling it a limited increase despite severe pressure on the energy sector.
Arvind Kumar, Director (Refineries) at IOCL, said refinery operations were functioning beyond full capacity to avoid any disruption in fuel supplies.
“It is a very small rise. There is a lot of pressure. But I can tell you that Indian Oil group companies and refineries are working round the clock at more than 100 per cent capacity so that there will be no crisis and no dryout at any of our retail outlets,” he said.
The government has repeatedly maintained that there is no immediate fuel shortage despite ongoing instability in West Asia and disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
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Rahul Gandhi, Congress Attack Centre Over ‘Burden on Public’
The opposition, however, strongly criticised the fuel price hike and accused the Modi government of delaying action until after the elections.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a direct swipe at the Centre in a post on X:”The public will pay the price for the Modi government’s mistake. The Rs 3 shock has already arrived; the rest of the recovery will be done in instalments.”
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the government failed to pass on benefits to consumers when global oil prices were lower in previous years.
“For years, when international oil prices were soft or declining, the Congress had been urging that those benefits should be passed on to Indian consumers,” Ramesh said.
He claimed consumers were “fleeced” during that period and argued that the latest hike, along with the earlier increase in commercial LPG prices, would push inflation closer to 6 per cent this financial year.
Ramesh also linked the current oil price surge to the conflict in West Asia involving the United States and Israel.
