Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government, accusing them of 'looting' ordinary citizens through four consecutive hikes in fuel prices over 11 days. The broadside was delivered at a joint press conference in Bengaluru, alongside All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and Karnataka In-Charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar.

Key Allegations

Siddaramaiah alleged that the Centre has made repeated fuel price increases a pattern ever since Modi assumed office. He stated that in Bengaluru, petrol has now reached ₹110.93 per litre and diesel stands at ₹98.89 per litre, with both fuels rising by ₹7.52 in the latest round of hikes.

'The Central government has increased the prices of petrol, diesel and gas. Such a steep rise has never happened in the country's history. The lives of common people and the middle class have become difficult. People are suffering because of the price rise,' Siddaramaiah said.

He further alleged that the BJP had misled voters with promises of 'Achhe Din' and a 'Gujarat model' of governance, neither of which had materialised in terms of price relief for consumers.

Historical Price Comparison

Drawing a direct comparison with the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Siddaramaiah noted that in May 2014, petrol was priced at ₹71.41 per litre and diesel at ₹56.71 per litre. He added that an LPG cylinder, which cost ₹412 then, is currently priced at ₹915 — more than double the earlier rate.

The Chief Minister also argued that despite global crude oil prices remaining below the $100 per barrel mark — and having previously traded between $65 and $75 per barrel — consumers had not benefited from any corresponding reduction in retail prices.

Surjewala's Broadside

Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala sharpened the attack, alleging that petrol prices had risen by ₹7.20 within 11 days through four separate increases. He took a pointed swipe at BJP national president Nitin Nabin, remarking that the Centre imposed an additional petrol tax burden on Karnataka the very day after Nabin's visit to the state.

Surjewala further alleged that prices of commercial LPG cylinders, CNG, and PNG had also been raised, and claimed that details of profits earned by national petroleum companies over recent years were publicly available on the National Petroleum website. He additionally alleged that the BJP government had taken loans worth ₹43 lakh crore and had 'looted' ₹57 lakh crore.

'The BJP government is collecting nearly ₹1,000 crore every day. It is taking money from the pockets of agricultural labourers, daily wage workers, and working women,' Surjewala alleged.

Who Was Present

Among those present at the press conference were Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and Abhishek Dutta. The BJP-led Central government had not issued an immediate response to the allegations at the time of reporting.

What Comes Next

The Congress offensive comes at a politically charged moment, with fuel prices emerging as a key flashpoint ahead of upcoming electoral cycles. Whether the Centre responds with a price rollback or an excise duty cut — as it has done in the past — remains to be seen. The opposition is expected to sustain pressure on the issue given its direct impact on household budgets across urban and rural India.