Petrol and diesel prices could rise after April 29, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi warned on Tuesday, accusing the government of passing on the burden of higher global crude oil prices to consumers once elections conclude.
In a post on X in Hindi, Gandhi said, "Election relief over, inflation's heat is on its way! After April 29th, watch out - petrol, diesel, everything will get expensive."
He further alleged that the government had benefited when crude prices were low but would now shift the impact of rising costs onto the public.
"When (crude) oil was cheap, the Modi government pocketed the profits. Now that it's expensive, it'll dump the burden on you," Gandhi said.
"A government that loots when it's cheap - leaving the public to bear the brunt of inflation," he added.
His remarks come ahead of the second phase of polling in West Bengal scheduled for April 29.
Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry have already concluded, with results due on May 4.
Meanwhile, global crude oil prices have surged amid tensions in West Asia.
Israel and the United States attacked Iran on February 28 and since then the global oil supply chain has been disrupted due to the closure of Strait of Hormuz.
The government has no plans to raise petrol and diesel prices, a senior official said on Tuesday, dismissing speculation of a hike after polling in West Bengal ends on April 29.
Retail petrol and diesel prices have remained unchanged for a record fourth year, even as conflict in West Asia has pushed crude oil costs up more than 50 per cent over the past two months.
The widening gap between input costs and pump prices has left state-run fuel retailers incurring heavy losses - with some estimates pegging daily loss at about Rs 2,400 crore - fuelling speculation of an imminent price hike after politically charged assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry conclude on Wednesday.
"There is no proposal to increase petrol and diesel prices," Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said at a news briefing on the fallout of developments in West Asia.
(With inputs from PTI)
