National Desk
15 september
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has criticized the central government for not reducing petrol and diesel prices despite a significant drop in global crude oil rates. He alleged that even though crude oil prices have fallen by 32.5%, the government continues to “loot” through inflated fuel prices.
Kharge pointed out that in 2014, petrol was priced at ₹71.51 per liter and diesel at ₹57.28 per liter, while on September 16, 2024, crude oil was at $72.48 per barrel, but petrol costs ₹94.72 and diesel ₹87.62 per liter. He argued that petrol should be priced at ₹48.27 per liter and diesel at ₹69.
Kharge further accused the Modi government of collecting ₹35 lakh crore in the last 10 years through additional taxes on fuel. He expressed confidence that voters in the upcoming elections would reject the ruling BJP, attributing rising inflation to the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.