PT News Chandigarh, May 25
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring today condemned the repeated hike in the prices of petrol and diesel, saying the Modi government was stealing money and picking the pockets of common people across the country and that too when crude prices had fallen in the international market and oil companies were making huge profits.
Referring to the latest hike in fuel prices, Warring said fuel prices have been increased by about Rs 7.5 per litre in recent days, while accusing the Modi government of doing it “stealthily” by increasing prices in a piece-meal manner.
He pointed out that in just 10 days, the BJP government has increased petrol and diesel prices for the fourth time, terming it “not governance, but systematic inflation imposed on people.”
The PCC president questioned why the government needed to increase fuel prices when global crude oil prices had declined and oil companies were already earning huge profits. “Instead of giving relief to the people, the Modi government is fleecing citizens and extorting money from them through repeated hikes,” he remarked.
Warring noted that petrol has become costlier by over Rs 7.5 per litre in less than two weeks, while diesel has witnessed a similar increase, asking how the middle class, farmers, transporters, small traders, daily wage earners, and youth were expected to survive such an economic burden.
He pointed out that petrol prices in Delhi have crossed Rs 102 per litre (Rs 102.12), while diesel has reached Rs 95.20 per litre, with rates being even higher in several metro cities.
He added that the latest hike alone increased petrol prices by Rs 2.61 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.71 per litre.
“Every increase in fuel prices directly impacts transportation costs, vegetables, milk, groceries, and every essential commodity. This is not merely a fuel crisis — this is an inflation crisis affecting every household,” he observed.
Warring said when petrol and diesel become expensive, every household budget collapses. “A farmer pays more for transportation and agricultural operations, a worker pays more to commute, and ordinary families are forced to spend more on daily groceries and essentials,” he said.