BENGALURU: AICC General Secretary, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday alleged that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre slashed excise duty on petrol from Rs 13 to Rs 10, and on diesel from Rs 10 to 0, only to benefit oil companies Nayara and Reliance.
“The Union Government is planning to increase the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas during April 9-23 (after the polls to five states). The annual duty exemption of Rs 3,60,000 crore will benefit private oil companies and not the common man,” Surjewala told reporters at the KPCC office in Bengaluru.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar were present.
“What kind of false narrative is the Centre propagating? It is being portrayed that the Centre’s decision to slash duties on fuels will save Rs 36,000 crore per month and Rs 3,60,000 crore per year. In fact, the burden on people will not reduce even by a single rupee,” he said.
Surjewala urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare that he will not hike fuel prices after the polls to five states, saying that the Centre has the habit of increasing fuel prices after every election. “After the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls, after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and after the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the Centre had increased fuel prices 14 times in a span of 16 days,” Surjewala said, adding that since coming to power in 2024, the Modi government has “looted Rs 43 lakh crore at the rate of Rs 1,000 crore per day through diesel and petrol tax.
“The impact of the crisis that has arisen in West Asia has been severe, with Nayara Oil Company increasing the price of petrol by Rs 5.30 per litre and diesel by Rs 3. Five state elections will be held on April 9 and 23, after which the Centre is almost certain to increase fuel prices,” the Congress leader said. “The Modi government’s practice of lying, misleading and deceiving has started again.
As part of this, it has decided to cut duty on petrol and diesel,” he added. He further said that on the last day of the UPA II regime on May 26, 2014, the cost of petrol was Rs 71.41 per litre and diesel Rs 56.71 per litre. “At present, their prices are Rs 102.96 and Rs 90.99 respectively. In 2014, the price of crude oil was $108 per barrel. Before the ongoing West Asia crisis, the price per barrel was $70. From 2014 to 2025, the Modi government has imposed a duty of Rs 19.70 on petrol and Rs 15.50 on diesel,” he elaborated.
During the UPA government in 2014, the price of a cooking gas cylinder was Rs 412, he said. “In March 2026, it was Rs 913, an increase of Rs 501 at 121.6% in 12 years. In 2014, the commercial LPG price was Rs 1541 (19 kg), now it is Rs 1,884.50,” he added.