Kharge slams fourth fuel price hike in 11 days, calls it 'daily loot'
Synopsis
Four fuel price hikes in eleven days — and a Congress president who is making sure every voter knows it. Kharge’s ‘daily loot’ framing lands as petrol crosses ₹102 in Delhi, oil stocks surge 4-6%, and the government stays silent. The political math here is as important as the economic one.
Key Takeaways
Petrol in Delhi now costs ₹102.12 per litre and diesel ₹95.20 per litre after Monday’s revision.
This is the fourth fuel price hike since 15 May 2026 , with cumulative increases of ₹7.35/litre on petrol and ₹7.53/litre on diesel.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the hikes a ‘daily assault of fuel loot’ in a post on X .
Shares of HPCL , BPCL , and IOC rose 5.8% , 4.44% , and 3.90% respectively on Monday.
The hikes are attributed to rising global crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions in West Asia .
Kharge cited long-term data showing petrol has risen from ₹71.41/litre in 2014 to ₹102.12/litre in 2026 .
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday, 25 May launched a sharp attack on the NDA government at the Centre over the fourth consecutive fuel price increase in 11 days, calling it a “daily assault of fuel loot” and accusing the ruling dispensation of piling financial burdens on ordinary citizens. The latest revision pushed petrol prices in Delhi to ₹102.12 per litre and diesel to ₹95.20 per litre.
The Latest Hike in Numbers
State-owned oil marketing companies on Monday raised petrol prices in Delhi by ₹2.61 per litre and diesel by ₹2.71 per litre. Petrol, which was priced at ₹99.51 per litre before Monday’s revision, now stands at ₹102.12 per litre, while diesel has climbed from ₹92.49 per litre to ₹95.20 per litre. The hike comes just two days after a Saturday revision that added ₹0.87 per litre to petrol and ₹0.91 per litre to diesel.
What Kharge Said
In a post on X, Kharge wrote, “The Daily Assault of FUEL LOOT is not over yet! 4th hike in 11 days!!” He cited cumulative increases of ₹7.35 per litre on petrol and ₹7.53 per litre on diesel since 15 May, arguing the spiral was squeezing household budgets and cascading through the broader economy. He also drew a long-term comparison, noting that petrol has risen from ₹71.41 per litre in 2014 to ₹102.12 per litre in 2026, and diesel from ₹56.71 per litre to ₹95.20 per litre over the same period.
Kharge alleged that the government “has looted ₹43 lakh crore in the last 12 years,” framing the figure as “a loot of ₹1,000 every day.” These are Congress’s own calculations and have not been independently verified.
Oil Stocks Rally as Citizens Bear the Brunt
Kharge also pointed to a sharp rally in oil marketing company shares on Monday, noting that HPCL, BPCL, and IOC rose by 5.8%, 4.44%, and 3.90% respectively on the back of the price revision. “Profit over People is BJP’s DNA!” he wrote, drawing a contrast between shareholder gains and consumer pain. He warned that the impact of repeated hikes extended from farmers to MSMEs, affecting every segment of the economy.
Why Prices Are Rising
The consecutive increases come amid sustained upward pressure from global crude oil prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, which continue to disrupt international energy markets and feed through to domestic pump prices. This is the fourth such revision since 15 May 2026, making it one of the most concentrated sequences of fuel price hikes in recent memory. Notably, the government has not yet issued a formal statement responding to the opposition’s criticism.
Political and Economic Fallout
The fuel price surge has handed the Congress a ready campaign issue, with Kharge personally leading the charge. Analysts note that fuel inflation carries an outsized political cost because it is visible at the pump daily and feeds directly into transport and food prices. With no sign of a crude price retreat, further revisions cannot be ruled out in the near term.
Point of View
But the directional argument — that fuel taxation has consistently favoured revenue over relief — is harder to dismiss. The real question is whether the Centre will absorb any of the crude shock through excise cuts, as it did in 2022, or whether consumers will carry the full weight of West Asia’s instability.
NationPress
9 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much have petrol and diesel prices increased since 15 May 2026?
Petrol has risen by a cumulative ₹7.35 per litre and diesel by ₹7.53 per litre since 15 May 2026, across four separate revisions. The latest hike on 25 May added ₹2.61 per litre to petrol and ₹2.71 per litre to diesel in Delhi.
What is the current petrol and diesel price in Delhi?
As of 25 May 2026, petrol is priced at ₹102.12 per litre and diesel at ₹95.20 per litre in Delhi. These are the prices following the fourth consecutive hike in eleven days by state-owned oil marketing companies.
Why are fuel prices rising in India?
The consecutive hikes are attributed to sustained upward pressure from rising global crude oil prices and ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, which have disrupted international energy markets and pushed up domestic fuel costs.
What did Mallikarjun Kharge say about the fuel price hikes?
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge called the hikes a 'daily assault of fuel loot' in a post on X, accusing the BJP-led NDA government of burdening common citizens. He alleged the government had looted ₹43 lakh crore over 12 years through fuel pricing — a figure based on Congress’s own calculations.
How did oil company stocks react to the fuel price hike?
Shares of HPCL, BPCL, and IOC rose 5.8%, 4.44%, and 3.90% respectively on Monday following the price revision. Kharge cited this rally as evidence of the government prioritising corporate profits over public welfare.
