Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making the public suffer due to the recent fuel price hike amid tensions in West Asia. In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that the Modi government’s “mistakes” are forcing citizens to bear the burden, saying the ₹3 increase in petrol and diesel prices is only the beginning and that further “recovery” would happen gradually.

The criticism followed the Centre’s decision to raise petrol and diesel prices by ₹3 per litre nationwide. In New Delhi, petrol prices climbed from ₹94.77 to ₹97.77 per litre, while diesel rose from ₹87.67 to ₹90.67 per litre. Defending the move, Kiren Rijiju argued that India’s fuel price increase was relatively small compared to many other countries, where prices reportedly surged between 20% and nearly 100% due to the ongoing West Asia conflict. He praised the Modi government for handling the situation responsibly and prioritizing public welfare.

Rijiju stated that despite Brent crude oil prices crossing $100 per barrel and global markets becoming unstable, India’s public sector oil companies absorbed major losses for weeks to shield citizens from inflation and financial strain. He credited the leadership of Prime Minister Modi for maintaining a balance between economic stability and public welfare. The fuel price revision comes amid rising global crude oil prices linked to escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, particularly the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, which has disrupted oil supplies worldwide.