New Delhi, May 15: The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the hike in fuel prices amid the West Asia conflict, while taking a firm stance for the welfare of the public.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said that the PM Modi-led government's "mistakes" have cost the people, and claimed that the increase in petrol and diesel prices, which he termed as "vasooli (extortion)", will be done in instalments.
"Modi government's mistake, public will pay the price. The ₹3 shock has already arrived. The rest of the recovery will be done in instalments," he said.
The staunch attack came after the Centre increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre across the country. Following the revision, petrol prices in New Delhi rose from Rs 94.77 to Rs 97.77 per litre, while diesel prices increased from Rs 87.67 to Rs 90.67 per litre.
However, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has defended the hike in fuel prices, comparing the 3.2% and 3.4% price increase in petrol in India to other countries, claiming that they witnessed the hikes ranging from 20% to nearly 100% due to the West Asia conflict.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for balancing economic stability with public welfare, he credited the government for governing with responsibility and putting people first while making decisions.
"As the world battled rising fuel costs after the West Asia conflict, India stood apart. While several countries witnessed petrol & diesel hikes ranging from 20% to nearly 100%, India limited the increase to just +3.2% for petrol & +3.4% for diesel," Rijiju said in a post on X.
"Even as Brent crude crossed $100/barrel & global markets turned volatile, India's public sector oil companies absorbed huge losses for weeks to protect citizens from inflation & economic pressure. This is governance with responsibility. This is leadership that puts people first. Under PM Narendra Modi, India continues to balance economic stability with public welfare," he added.
The fuel price hike comes amid escalating global crude oil prices triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The geopolitical tensions, particularly the US-Israel and Iran conflict that began on February 28 this year, have disrupted global crude oil supplies and pushed Brent crude prices above USD 100 per barrel. (ANI)
