Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the increasing fuel prices, calling him "inflation man" and alleging that he is attacking the "public's pockets."
Reacting to the latest round of fule price hikes on Monday, when petrol and diesel prices were raised by Rs 2.61-2.71 per litre, Gandhi alleged that the prime minister has just one job of making promises during elections and attacking people's pockets at other times.
Monday's price hike marks the fourth increase in less than two weeks as state-owned fuel retailers continued to pass on rising international oil prices to consumers.
"Mehangai manav' Modi strikes again. He raises petrol and diesel prices in installments - ensuring that your pockets are quietly picked, bit by bit," the Congress leader said in his post on X.
"For months, I had been warning of an impending economic storm. But Modi Ji, true to form, was busy with elections at the time and the moment the elections ended, he hiked the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs 8," he added.
Gandhi warned that the upward trend would only continue.
"'Mehangai manav' Modi has just one job: promises during elections, and attacking people's pockets at other times," Gandhi said.
With the latest revision, cumulative increases in petrol and diesel prices have nearly touched Rs 7.5 per litre since fuel price revisions resumed on May 15 after a prolonged freeze, stoking concerns over inflationary pressures and higher transportation costs across the economy.
The latest revision pushed petrol prices higher by Rs 2.61 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.71, according to industry sources.
Petrol prices were raised to Rs 102.12 a litre in Delhi from Rs 99.51 previously, while diesel rates were increased to Rs 95.20 per litre from Rs 92.49.
The back-to-back increases come after global crude oil prices surged more than 50 per cent since late February following US-Israeli strikes on Iran and disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route.
