Fuel price hike an ‘attack on common man’, says Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday slammed the Union government for the hike in petrol and diesel prices, terming the move as an “anti-people decision” that will impose an additional burden on ordinary citizens who are already struggling with rising cost of living.

In his statement, Mr Siddaramaiah accused the Modi-led government of “punishing the people for their own failures”. He alleged that the Centre’s “failed foreign policy, poor economic management and careless management of inflation” had forced the government to put the burden on the people.

The Prime Minister, who is also responsible for the Finance portfolio, warned that the increase would trigger a cascading impact on essential commodities and services. He said that transportation fees, vegetable and grocery prices, milk prices, construction costs, school minibus fees, taxi and car fees and agricultural input expenses are expected to increase in the coming days.

“The bulk of the burden will fall on the shoulders of farmers, workers, small traders, women managing household budgets and the middle class,” he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah also alleged that when global crude oil prices were low, the Union government did not provide adequate assistance to consumers and instead collected high taxes to increase its revenue. “But when prices rise, this burden immediately falls on the citizens. This is not management, it is exploitation,” he said.

The Prime Minister also accused the Center of failing to control inflation, protecting the rupee and failing to manage the economy effectively. Demanding an immediate rollback of the fuel price hike, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should “take responsibility” for the difficulties faced by ordinary families.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday blamed the Center for the rising cost of living, stating that “the price hike is Modi’s contribution”. He said that the increase in fuel and basic commodity prices places a heavy burden on the people.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Shivakumar criticized the Centre’s handling of international issues, attributing it to the current rise in prices. He questioned how people can manage daily life without using oil, saying that travel is essential for livelihoods. He also stated that suggestions to reduce fuel consumption and avoid buying gold are impractical, saying such measures are unrealistic for ordinary citizens who meet daily needs.

Randeep Singh Surjewala, general secretary of the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Karnataka, on Friday accused the NDA government of running a “loot cycle” by increasing fuel prices in the wake of the conflict in West Asia. In a press note, he claimed that the Modi government has collected ₹43 lakh crore through petrol and diesel taxes in the last 11 years. “This comes to ₹1,000 crore every day since 2014,” he claimed.

He said that during the UPA regime in May 2014, the price of petrol was ₹71.41 per litre, while the price of diesel was ₹56.71 per litre. Today, in Delhi, petrol is sold at 102.92 rupees per liter and diesel is sold at 90.99 rupees per liter. According to him, with crude oil prices falling from $108 per barrel in 2014 to around $70 per barrel before the conflict in West Asia, gasoline is expected to cost 61.60 Indian rupees per liter and diesel to $56.99 per liter. “The rest is pure spoils,” he claimed.