Rising fuel prices and inflation on Tuesday, 19 May triggered a sharp political confrontation in New Delhi, with Opposition leaders accusing the Centre of driving ordinary citizens into economic distress, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defended the situation as part of a worldwide economic crisis. The exchange underscores deepening public anxiety over the cost of living, with transport workers among the hardest hit.

Opposition Offensive: AAP and Congress Train Guns on the Centre

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Anurag Dhanda said auto and truck drivers were being pushed to the brink of industrial action by surging CNG, petrol, and diesel prices. 'Auto drivers have now announced that they will go on strike because CNG gas prices are rising. Truck drivers had already said they would go on strike as diesel prices continue to increase. They have failed to understand the concerns of auto drivers, truck drivers, and common people,' Dhanda said.

Dhanda also targeted the BJP over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public appeal for fuel conservation, dismissing recent moves by BJP leaders to travel by Metro and public transport as political 'drama.' 'Look, the whole country is in trouble right now, and people are worried. And the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party, their ministers, chief ministers, by doing this drama, are sprinkling salt on people's wounds,' he said.

He further alleged that BJP leaders travelled with 30–40 security personnel even while using public transport, occupying entire Metro coaches and leaving little room for ordinary commuters. 'They are travelling in the Metro with 30–40 security personnel. I ask how these people reached the Metro station? They had arrived in cars, what is the point then?' he said.

Congress MP Deepender Hooda Raises Rupee, Inflation Concerns

Congress MP Deepender Hooda broadened the attack to include the weakening rupee and what he called the government's 'wrong economic policies.' 'Due to the government's wrong economic policies, the country is going through a very difficult phase. If any currency has witnessed the sharpest decline in the international market, it is the Indian rupee,' Hooda said.

Hooda further alleged that petrol, diesel, cooking gas, and fertilisers had reached their highest-ever prices in the country's history — a claim the government has not accepted. 'Petrol, diesel, gas and fertilisers have reached the highest prices in the country's history,' he said, criticising the Centre over the rising cost of living.

BJP's Defence: A Global Problem, Not a Domestic Failure

Uttar Pradesh Minister Anil Rajbhar pushed back firmly, framing the fuel price rise as a global phenomenon rather than a policy failure. 'This is a global problem and a crisis facing the entire world. We all have pride in our government and our leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Prices of diesel and petrol have increased in every country of the world, but the increase in India has been the lowest and the last to occur,' Rajbhar said.

This is not the first time the BJP has used the global-crisis argument to deflect fuel price criticism — similar defences were mounted during the 2021–22 price surge. Notably, the government has not announced any immediate relief measures such as excise duty cuts, which it deployed in late 2021.

Impact on Transport Workers and Common Citizens

The political row comes against a backdrop of genuine economic pressure on India's vast informal transport sector. Auto-rickshaw and truck drivers, who operate on thin margins, are acutely vulnerable to CNG and diesel price movements. A prolonged strike by either group could disrupt last-mile connectivity and goods movement across major cities.

With no immediate relief in sight from the Centre, all eyes will be on whether the government opts for a fiscal intervention — such as an excise cut — or continues to absorb the political cost of elevated prices.