The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) in Maharashtra on Monday launched a fierce attack on the Narendra Modi-led central government over the continuous rise in petrol and diesel prices. While the Congress sought PM Modi's resgination, the NCP(SP) accused the BJP government of “openly looting the common man while protecting corporate interests.”
Congress State President Harshvardhan Sapkal launched a fierce attack on the Centre, saying if Modi cannot control inflation, then he should step down. He added that citing the Iran war to justify the increase is misleading.
During the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh, even when crude oil prices touched $100 per barrel, petrol and diesel prices were not allowed to go beyond Rs 72 per litre, Sapkal recounted. Dr Manmohan Singh ensured that the burden of inflation did not fall on the common people, but during the Modi government’s tenure, even when crude oil prices hovered around $50–55 per barrel, petrol continued to be sold at nearly ₹100 per litre, he pointed. The Congress leader also said the Modi government is selling inferior-quality ethanol-blended petrol at ₹110 per litre.
'Common man being looted'
Addressing the media, NCP(SP) spokesperson and party leader Mahesh Tapase said the Modi government has turned fuel prices into a tool to squeeze money from ordinary citizens already struggling with inflation, unemployment, and rising household expenses.
“Every now and then petrol and diesel prices rise, the burden falls on farmers, workers, small businessmen, transporters, and middle-class families. Vegetable prices go up, transport costs increase, school fees rise, and household budgets collapse. The BJP government is making people pay heavily just to survive,” said Tapase.
He alleged that whenever international crude oil prices fall, the Modi government refuses to reduce fuel prices and quietly pockets massive profits through excise duty and taxes.
“When crude oil prices were low globally, did the people get relief? No. The government collected lakhs of crores from the public but gave nothing back to citizens. Now the moment international prices rise slightly, the entire burden is immediately passed on to the people. This is not governance — this is organised economic exploitation,” Tapase said.
Despite the global petroleum crisis, no PSU oil company is in loss as the entire burden is shifted on to the common man, he said. "There is no transparency, no accountability — only propaganda and public relations," he said.
“People were promised ‘Acche Din’, but what they got was expensive fuel, expensive LPG cylinders, expensive food, and expensive living. Under the Modi government, every citizen is paying a ‘BJP inflation tax’ daily.”
“The country does not need publicity campaigns and event management. The country needs relief from inflation,” Tapase added.
