Post-poll fuel price rise exposes Centre’s ‘misleading politics’: Congress

The Maharashtra Congress on Friday accused the BJP-led Central government of pushing the country into an “inflation crisis” by delaying corrective measures and prioritising electoral campaigns over rising prices.

Congress legislative party leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that despite the impact of the conflict in West Asia becoming visible earlier this year, the Centre focused primarily on state elections rather than addressing mounting economic pressures.

In a statement, Wadettiwar said Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had warned the government months ago about the possibility of rising inflation and increasing fuel costs.

However, he claimed the Centre failed to take timely action and instead concentrated on securing electoral victories while keeping fuel prices artificially stable during the election period.

“Now that the elections are over, the Narendra Modi government has imposed an inflation crisis on the country,” Wadettiwar alleged.

He claimed that prices of compressed natural gas (CNG), commercial LPG cylinders, petrol, diesel, milk and several other essential commodities had increased sharply after the conclusion of elections.

The Congress leader further alleged that in its attempt to avoid electoral backlash, the government delayed difficult economic decisions and misled the public for nearly three months.

His remarks came on the same day petrol and diesel prices were increased by Rs 3 per litre each — the first revision in fuel prices in more than four years.

The hike follows mounting losses faced by state-run fuel retailers due to soaring international crude oil prices amid the ongoing crisis in West Asia.

Amid concerns over rising oil imports and foreign exchange pressures, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently suggested measures to reduce fuel consumption, including greater use of metro rail services, carpooling, electric vehicles, railway freight services and work-from-home arrangements.

The Congress, however, argued that such suggestions could not substitute concrete measures to shield consumers from rising inflation and fuel costs.

With PTI inputs