On Saturday, the Congress party strongly criticised the central government over the latest rise in petrol and diesel prices, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of placing additional financial pressure on ordinary citizens while favouring oil companies. In a post shared on X, Congress referred to the Prime Minister as “Mehangai Man” Modi, claiming that fuel prices have been increased by around ₹5 over the past nine days. The party also pointed out that petrol prices went up by 94 paise and diesel by 95 paise in the most recent revision.

Congress further alleged that the government is more focused on protecting oil company profits than easing the burden of inflation-hit consumers. It accused the ruling establishment of ignoring public distress, stating that while other countries are offering relief to their citizens, India’s government is allegedly “neglecting the common people” and supporting corporate interests instead. The criticism came after yet another round of fuel price hikes, marking the third increase in less than ten days amid ongoing volatility in global energy markets.

In major cities, petrol and diesel rates saw noticeable jumps. In Delhi, petrol rose to ₹99.51 per litre after an 87 paise increase, while diesel climbed to ₹92.49 per litre, up by 91 paise. Kolkata recorded petrol at ₹110.64 and diesel at ₹97.02 after similar sharp hikes of 94–95 paise. In Mumbai, petrol reached ₹108.49 and diesel ₹95.02, while Chennai saw prices rise to ₹105.31 for petrol and ₹96.98 for diesel. Just days earlier, fuel prices had already been revised upward. In Delhi, petrol had increased from ₹97.77 to ₹98.64, and diesel from ₹90.67 to ₹91.58. Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata also witnessed comparable hikes during that round of revisions.

Jaipur too experienced a surge in fuel costs, with petrol and diesel both becoming more expensive by nearly a rupee per litre. After the change, petrol stood at ₹108.91 and diesel at ₹94.15 in the city. The Centre had already raised fuel prices by ₹3 per litre on May 15 across the country. The repeated increases come at a time when global energy markets remain unstable due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia, including disruptions around key maritime trade routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.