'Why Modi govt deceiving public': Congress slams BJP over fuel price hike amid West Asia crisis

Congress Research Department Chairman Rajeev Gowda alleged that Modi addressed Parliament on the West Asia crisis but instead of giving an honest account, he tried to undermine the intensity of the conflict.

New Delhi: Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of not passing on the benefits of oil price fall from 2014 and asked why is it transferring the burden to the common man when crude prices have increased owing to the West Asia crisis.

It also alleged that the Modi government “compromised” sovereignty by letting India’s dependence on crude and gas imports from West Asia rise rapidly while questioning the “deception” of announcing the hike after the elections.

Addressing a press conference, Congress Research Department Chairman Rajeev Gowda asked why the Modi government did not pass on the benefits of oil price fall from 2014 and let private firms corner the profit.

“Why did it raise its own fuel taxes rather than let consumers benefit? Does the government not have a moral and economic obligation to control inflation rather than contribute to it now?” he said, claiming that the government collected Rs 25,000 crore from windfall profits in 2022-23, as private refiners continued to benefit from export margins.

Gowda, a former Rajya Sabha MP, said India’s import dependence on crude oil has increased from 80.6 per cent in 2015-16 to 89.44 per cent in 2024-25 while domestic crude oil production has steadily decreased from 36.9 million metric tonnes to 28.7 million metric tonnes during the same period. India’s total LPG demand is now about 250 per cent of indigenous production, he added.

“Why did we not diversify our supplies? Why has domestic production stalled despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tall claims of gas production in the Krishna-Godavari basin? What role has US president Donald Trump’ pressure to cut oil imports from Russia played in creating this scarcity?” he asked.

Gowda alleged that Modi addressed Parliament on the West Asia crisis but instead of giving an honest account, he tried to undermine the intensity of the conflict.

“Why has the Modi government been deceiving the public? Why were prices raised only after the Assembly elections concluded? Why did Modi not acknowledge the severity of the crisis in Parliament?” he asked.

He said the impact of rising oil prices on the common man will be "devastating" as it has sharply increased transportation costs, directly impacting the prices of essential goods across the country.

"Higher fuel costs will trigger a fresh wave of inflation in everyday items such as fruits, vegetables, milk and other household essentials. Early signs of rising inflation are already visible, with both Amul and Mother Dairy increasing milk prices by Rs 2 per litre," he said.