The Congress slammed the BJP-led Centre on Tuesday over the second fuel-price hike in a week, saying India must take control of its energy sovereignty and demanding a clear action plan
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NEW DELHI — The Congress slammed the BJP-led Centre on Tuesday over the second fuel-price hike in a week, saying India must take control of its energy sovereignty and demanding a clear action plan on the rates of petrol and diesel.
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, K C Venugopal and Shaktisinh Gohil criticised the Centre over the rise in fuel prices that is affecting the common man.
During a visit to his Lok Sabha constituency of Rae Bareli, Gandhi warned of an impending economic storm and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is urging people to refrain from flying abroad but is himself travelling to several countries.
"The sad thing is that a severe economic storm is coming, which no one can stop, which we have never experienced in our lives," he said.
The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said it is not Ambani or Adani or Modi who will get hurt, but the farmers of India, labourers, youngsters, small businessmen and small industries who generate employment.
Also read: Global oil shock: OMCs raise fuel prices for second time in less than a week
"Petrol prices are set to rise and inflation will skyrocket. Yet they say, Rahul Gandhi has no understanding. Even today, we continue to tell them -- take action, protect the public, protect the farmers. But they have nothing to do. Sometimes they fly off to Norway, then to Japan and then somewhere else. Why?" he asked.
Kharge claimed that Modi has proved to be a failure on the economic front and said the Centre should reflect on its failures and seek solutions by taking everyone along.
His remarks came after petrol and diesel prices were hiked by about 90 paise per litre on Tuesday, marking the second increase in fuel rates in less than a week since State-run oil firms ended a nearly-four-year freeze on revisions.
"Just four days after the price hike, the Modi government has once again increased the prices of petrol and diesel. Having set the stage, preaching about savings while shifting the burden of their failures onto the public -- this effort is in full swing," Kharge alleged in a post on X.
"Robbing the common people and giving Adani a free pass from America -- this is Modiji's Compromised Model," the Congress chief said.
He said the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG are rising, and claimed that the rates of fertilisers would go up as well.
"I want to ask Narendra Modi -- didn't you think of this before?" Kharge asked.
Claiming that the situation is like a world war, he said, "Attacks are happening on Arab countries too, but Narendra Modi kept telling India that there is no problem."
"The Modi government should reflect on its failures and seek solutions by taking everyone along," Kharge told reporters.
Venugopal said as predicted, the Centre is raising fuel prices in instalments. This was the second time in a week and there is no clarity on how much more the common public will need to suffer, he added.
Noting that there is widespread panic about India's energy situation, Venugopal said the Centre is supposed to steer the ship in this difficult moment but instead, Modi is gallivanting across the world and the finance minister is nowhere to be seen.
"In reality, we would not be in this dire situation if our PM wasn't compromised and compelled to dance to the US' tunes. When we are facing such a massive fuel shortage, we cannot afford to turn down oil from Russia, Iran, Venezuela and the like," the Congress general secretary said in a post on X.
Just as India defied US sanctions in 2013, it must again take control of its energy sovereignty and not let others dictate critical choices, he added.
"We demand a clear action plan from the government, or else the day is not far when the people and the Opposition will rise up on the streets against this mayhem," Venugopal said.
Addressing a press conference, Gohil alleged that the BJP-led government has pushed ONGC and GSPC into an operational crisis.
He said Modi should be more concerned about the interests of the country.
"Due to the mistakes of the Modi government, the production of petrol, diesel and gas in the country has decreased, and the government should respond to this," he said.
Gohil said as the chief minister of Gujarat, Modi told a press conference on June 6, 2005, that he had discovered 20 trillion cubic feet of oil and gas but nothing came out of that claim.
Petrol and diesel prices were raised by about 90 paise per litre on Tuesday -- the second increase in less than a week -- as State-run fuel retailers moved to narrow the mounting losses triggered by a sharp surge in global crude oil prices following the Iran conflict.
The petrol price in New Delhi rose to INR 98.64 per litre from INR 97.77, while the rate of diesel increased to INR 91.58 from INR 90.67 a litre, according to industry sources.
The latest increase follows a INR 3-per-litre hike announced on Friday -- the first fuel price revision in more than four years.