‘Modi Govt Is Burdening Common People Of India’

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday intensified the Opposition’s attack on the Narendra Modi government over the latest hike in petrol and diesel prices, accusing the Centre of making ordinary citizens bear the burden of its “economic failures” and poor policy decisions.

His criticism came after state-run oil marketing companies announced another increase in fuel prices within days of the previous hike, triggering sharp reactions from Opposition parties over rising inflation and the increasing cost of living.

In a strongly worded post on social media platform X, Kharge said the repeated hikes exposed the government’s inability to manage the impact of rising global crude oil prices while continuing to project an image of economic stability.

“It has been barely four days since the last price hike, and the Modi government has once again raised the prices of petrol and diesel,” Kharge wrote.

Accusing the government of shifting its failures onto the public, he added, “After setting the stage with elaborate rhetoric and preaching the virtues of frugality, the process of shifting the burden of their own failures onto the public is currently in full swing.”

The Congress president argued that repeated increases in fuel prices were putting immense pressure on ordinary families, transport sectors and small businesses already struggling with inflation. According to him, the Centre had failed to create any effective mechanism to protect citizens from fluctuations in international oil markets.

Kharge also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over India’s foreign policy approach and the government’s handling of Russian crude oil imports. Referring to reports of India seeking continued permissions related to oil purchases, he accused the Centre of weakening the country’s diplomatic standing.

“Mr. Modi — who falsely boasts of being a ‘Vishwa Guru’ — has had to plead and beg the United States just to secure a one-month extension of permission to purchase Russian oil,” Kharge alleged.

“By doing this repeatedly, he wounds the self-respect of 1.4 billion Indians. No previous government has ever resorted to such measures before,” he claimed.

Questioning the justification behind repeated fuel price increases, the Congress chief asked why citizens were still being forced to pay higher rates if the government’s claims about oil imports and permissions were true.

“Now the question arises: if, according to the government, we have been ‘allowed’ to do this, then why is the burden of petrol and diesel prices still being imposed upon the common people?” he asked.

Kharge further accused the BJP-led government of lacking vision and leadership in handling the economic situation. He alleged that the ruling party remained more focused on elections and image management than addressing the financial stress faced by citizens.

“I reiterate once again: the BJP suffers from a severe lack of foresight and leadership,” he said.

In another sharp swipe at the Prime Minister, Kharge criticised what he described as an overdependence on publicity campaigns and branding exercises.

“One does not become a ‘Vishwa Guru’ merely by engaging in sponsored PR campaigns abroad,” he said. “Mr. Modi, one must demonstrate accountability towards the public.”

The Congress president also remarked that people were seeking answers on inflation and rising costs rather than symbolic messaging or carefully managed appearances.

“The public is not interested in trivialities such as ‘how you eat mangoes’ or ‘which tonic you consume’,” Kharge wrote.

“You will truly earn the title of the public’s ‘Pradhan Sevak’ only if you provide answers regarding what you are personally doing to address this crisis; otherwise, you will remain nothing more than a mere ‘Pracharak’,” he added.