The Congress on Friday intensified its attack on the Narendra Modi government over rising fuel prices and the broader economic situation, with party president Mallikarjun Kharge accusing the Centre of creating a “Modi-government-made crisis” through what he described as poor leadership, lack of vision and administrative incompetence.
In a strongly worded statement, Kharge said the people of the country must understand that the current economic distress was not solely the result of the international fuel crisis but also a consequence of failures within the government.
“The people of the country must understand that, along with the international fuel crisis, the major reason behind India’s current economic troubles is the leadership crisis in the Modi government, the lack of visionary thinking, and sheer incompetence,” Kharge said.
He alleged that ordinary citizens were being forced to bear the burden of rising petrol, diesel and LPG prices because of policy failures at the Centre.
“This is a Modi-government-made crisis, the burden of which the people of the country are being forced to bear through higher prices of petrol, diesel, and LPG,” the Congress president said.
Kharge warned that increasing diesel prices would trigger inflation across sectors and hurt industries, households and farmers alike.
“When diesel prices rise, it creates a cascading effect of inflation across the country. Everyone — from industries and household budgets to farmers — is adversely affected,” he said.
The Congress chief also targeted the government’s handling of the West Asia conflict and India’s energy security strategy, alleging that the Centre failed to act despite clear warning signs of a possible fuel disruption.
“When the West Asia war began, the country was told that ‘all is well,’ and the Congress party’s questions were dismissed. No concrete steps were taken. Instead, India’s sovereignty was mortgaged because of America’s ‘permission’ and ‘allowance’,” Kharge said.
Referring to reports surrounding India’s continued purchase of discounted Russian crude oil, Kharge questioned why India had allegedly been placed in a position where it needed American approval for energy imports.
“In March, the 30-day waiver granted for purchasing Russian oil reportedly contained humiliating words such as ‘allow’ and ‘permission’ from the United States. According to reports, the Government of India is now seeking an extension of that waiver. The question is: why has Modi ji put the country in a position where it has to seek ‘permission’?” he asked.
Kharge further accused the Centre of profiting from fuel taxation when global crude prices were low while now passing the burden of inflation onto citizens.
“Is it not true that when international crude oil prices were low, the Modi government gave no relief to the common people and instead earned Rs 43 lakh crore in central taxes over the last 10 years? Then why is the burden of inflation now being imposed on the public” he said.
The remarks come amid growing concerns over global energy markets following escalating tensions in West Asia, which have pushed up international crude oil prices and renewed fears of inflationary pressure in import-dependent economies such as India.
Adding to the Opposition’s criticism, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal accused the government of prioritising corporate interests over public welfare.
“Welcome to Amrit Kaal, mitron!” Venugopal wrote in a post on social media platform X.
“When global crude oil prices plummeted, the Modi Government pocketed billions in profits, and now — three months after a completely predictable crisis — the public is being forced to absorb the pain,” he said.
Venugopal also linked the government’s handling of the economic situation to the controversy surrounding industrialist Gautam Adani, alleging that the Centre was more concerned with protecting business allies than shielding citizens from rising costs.
“This government’s crisis management is only to save Adani from prosecution, not to save the common public from economic shocks. Instead of giving a plan on how the poor will be shielded from shocks, they are suffocating the people day by day,” he said.
“The people are completely fed up with this regime and its mismanagement,” the Congress leader added.
The Centre has previously defended its fuel taxation policy by arguing that excise revenues were necessary to fund welfare schemes and infrastructure spending, while also maintaining that India’s energy security decisions are guided solely by national interest.
