Rahul Gandhi brands Modi “Inflation Man” after fourth fuel hike in 10 days
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New Delhi: Congress leaders on Monday attacked the Centre after petrol and diesel rates were raised for the fourth time in ten days, with Rahul Gandhi dubbing Prime Minister Narendra Modi “Inflation Man Modi” and accusing the government of quietly burdening citizens.
In a post on X, Gandhi said fuel prices had been held down during the election period and then increased in instalments once polling concluded. “Inflation Man Modi strikes again. They raise petrol-diesel prices in installments so that your pocket keeps getting quietly fleeced,” he wrote, adding that he had long warned of an impending economic crisis and that the cumulative hikes — totalling about ₹8 since mid May — would continue to hurt ordinary people.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge joined the criticism, calling the repeated revisions a “daily assault” and labelling the trend “fuel loot.” He said farmers, transporters, small businesses and MSMEs were all suffering from the successive increases.
The sequence of recent hikes began on May 15 (₹3 per litre), followed by rises of 90 paise on May 19, 87 paise (petrol) and 91 paise (diesel) on May 23, and Monday’s latest revision. The adjustments have been partly attributed to pressure on state run oil marketing companies from elevated global crude prices, currency fluctuations and supply concerns linked to tensions in West Asia.
Economists warn the repeated increases may push up retail inflation, squeeze household budgets and raise costs across the transport and goods sectors, making fuel prices a significant political and economic issue ahead.
