Time for 'economic patriotism': BJP defends fuel price hike

New Delhi: Defending the fuel price hike, the BJP said that this is the time for “economic patriotism” and that in India, the hike was only 3 per cent.  

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari dismissed criticism from the Congress and said that Congress “always looks at political opportunity”. Listing the Brent crude price, Bhandari said that while the price per barrel is around $100 currently, India has seen only a 3.5 per cent increase in petrol and diesel prices after 76 days of stable prices. 

“Compare that to: Pakistan (+55%), Malaysia (+56%), US (+45%), UAE (+52%), China (+23%), France (+31%) …  This is a time for economic patriotism. 140 crore Indians are with PM Narendra Modi,” Bhandari posted on X. 

Echoing the same argument, BJP’s IT Cell head Amit Malviya said that, “Between 23 February and 15 May 2026, nearly every major economy saw sharp increases in petrol and diesel prices … Across the world, consumers have felt the impact directly at fuel stations. But India stands out as a striking exception.”

He said that only Saudi Arabia reported zero change due to direct state subsidy structures, and that among major market economies, India has effectively experienced the lowest increase. 

“For seventy-six days after the escalation in West Asia, India’s public sector oil marketing companies, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of fuel retail sales, kept prices largely unchanged despite rising global crude costs. Instead of immediately passing on the burden to citizens, they absorbed substantial under-recoveries at the refinery gate. Reported estimates suggest daily under-recoveries had approached nearly Rs 1,000 crore,” he added.