Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday sharply condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's repeated fuel price increases, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of 'fleecing citizens' even as global crude oil prices have declined and state-run oil companies continue to post substantial profits. The attack comes as petrol prices in Delhi crossed ₹102 per litre — among the highest rates recorded in recent months.

Four Hikes in Ten Days

Warring stated that the BJP government had raised petrol and diesel prices for the fourth time in just 10 days, with the cumulative increase amounting to approximately ₹7.5 per litre. He described the approach as 'stealthy', arguing that pricing increases were being rolled out in a piecemeal manner to obscure their full impact on consumers. The latest revision alone added ₹2.61 per litre to petrol and ₹2.71 per litre to diesel, according to Warring.

Current Fuel Rates and the Inflation Concern

Petrol in Delhi is now priced at ₹102.12 per litre, while diesel stands at ₹95.20 per litre, with rates reportedly higher in several other metro cities. Warring argued that every upward revision in fuel prices has a cascading effect on the broader economy — pushing up transportation costs and raising prices of vegetables, milk, groceries, and other essential commodities. 'This is not merely a fuel crisis — this is an inflation crisis affecting every household,' he said in a statement.

The Congress Argument: Profits vs. Relief

The Punjab Congress chief questioned the government's rationale for the hikes at a time when international crude oil prices have softened. He pointed out that oil companies were already earning significant profits, and asked why those gains were not being passed on to consumers. 'Instead of giving relief to the people, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is fleecing citizens and extorting money from them through repeated hikes,' Warring said. Critics have long argued that Indian retail fuel prices are structurally insulated from global crude movements — rising with international prices but failing to fall proportionately when crude softens.

Who Bears the Burden

Warring specifically called out the impact on the middle class, farmers, transporters, small traders, daily-wage earners, and the youth — groups that are disproportionately exposed to fuel-linked inflation. The Congress leader termed the successive hikes 'not governance, but systematic inflation imposed on people.' This is consistent with the Opposition's broader narrative ahead of state elections, framing fuel pricing as a governance and equity issue rather than a market-driven adjustment.

Political Context

The criticism from Punjab Congress adds to a growing chorus of Opposition voices pushing back against fuel price policy. Notably, the Congress has historically also faced criticism for high fuel prices during its own tenures in government — a contradiction the BJP is likely to invoke in its response. As of the time of publication, the BJP government had not issued a formal rebuttal to Warring's statement. With fuel-linked inflation feeding into food prices, the political salience of this issue is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead.