After the third fuel price hike in eight days, Opposition parties on Saturday alleged that the government was looting the public's earnings in installments and that the country's foreign policy had failed.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that there was a leadership crisis in the government , saying that while other countries are providing relief to their people, the BJP government continues to "loot" them.
"Petrol has now crossed Rs 100, this time around...Looting the public's earnings in instalments! "The BJP's appetite isn't satisfied even after slapping a central tax of Rs 1,000 crore daily on petrol-diesel... When international prices were low, they didn't pass on the benefits to the people - instead, they looted them relentlessly," Kharge wrote in his post in Hindi on X (formerly Twitter).
Kharge claimed that when the crisis hit, the BJP leadership got involved in elections and after the elections and they preached sacrifice.
"Then, in just 8 days, they hiked petrol-diesel prices three times," he said. "We were told that prices in India are the lowest compared to foreign countries. When the war in West Asia broke out and PM Modi was busy feeding us Indians the 'everything's fine' sedative, other countries were providing relief to their citizens," he wrote.
He cited the example of Italy, saying it cut excise on fuel, giving people some relief, while Australia reduced excise duty, slashing petrol prices by about Rs 17 per litre for citizens.
He also said that Germany lowered taxes on oil, reducing fuel prices by Rs 17-19 per litre, while the UK provided 100 pounds in oil aid to households and cut taxes on fuel and electricity.
Ireland's 250 million euro relief package brought petrol prices down by about 0.15 euro/litre and diesel by 0.20 euro/litre, he said.
"Narendra Modi ji, tell us -- Who all are getting a share of this installment-based loot? Why are you so compromised? "The real crisis in this government is one of leadership -- 140 crore Indians have now figured that out," Kharge alleged.
Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose minced no words.
"THIRD fuel price hike in a week. More post election shocks for the public. No asking questions please. Cockroach janta trast. Self appointed raja mast," she wrote on X.
The TMC wrote on its official X handle: "Petrol and diesel prices hiked again for the third time in just 10 days! While common people struggle with rising inflation, the BJP government continues to burden citizens with fuel price hikes. Every increase hits household budgets, transport costs, and daily essentials. How long will the middle class and poor suffer?"
Punjab finance minister and senior AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema criticised the prime minister and said that the foreign policy of the country had failed.
"In last 10 days, the prices of diesel and petrol have increased by Rs 5. Entire country knows about the rise in commercial gas prices. Common people of the country are troubled and the PM keeps going abroad, foreign policy of the country has failed," he said.
The latest revision pushed petrol prices higher by 87 paise per litre and diesel by up to 91 paise across the country, according to industry sources.
The back-to-back increases follow a prolonged freeze in retail fuel prices and come amid elevated crude oil prices in the global market.
With the latest hike, petrol and diesel prices have risen close to Rs 5 a litre since the state-owned oil marketing companies on May 15 ended the hiatus in rate revision, stoking concerns over inflationary pressures and higher transportation costs across the economy.
Petrol and diesel prices were increased by Rs 3 per litre each on May 15 and 90 paise a litre on May 19.
