Prateek Tanmay
3 min readNew DelhiMay 25, 2026 12:22 PM IST
Stepping up his attack on the government, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday following yet another hike in fuel prices. Calling PM Modi “mehangai maanav” (inflation man), Gandhi accused the ruling dispensation of systematically fleecing the public right after the conclusion of major state elections.
The Congress leader’s remarks came on the heels of state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) raising petrol prices by Rs 2.61 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.71 per litre Monday morning. This marked the fourth fuel price revision in less than two weeks.
“Mehangai maanav Modi strikes again,” Gandhi wrote in a post on X. “They raise petrol-diesel prices in installments—so that your pocket keeps getting quietly fleeced. I’ve been warning for months about an economic storm coming.”
महंगाई मानव मोदी का फिर से हमला।
पेट्रोल-डीज़ल के दाम किश्तों में बढ़ाते हैं – ताकि चुपके-चुपके आपकी जेब कटती रहे।
मैं महीनों से आर्थिक तूफान आने की बात कह रहा था। पर मोदी जी तब हमेशा की तरह चुनाव में व्यस्त थे – और चुनाव खत्म होते ही पेट्रोल-डीजल ₹8 महंगा कर दिया।
और, ये…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 25, 2026
“The Prime Minister was busy with elections back then. The moment the elections ended, petrol and diesel went up by nearly Rs 8 cumulative,” Gandhi said. “And this rise will just keep happening. ‘Inflation man Modi’s only job is this—make grand promises during elections, and spend the rest of the time attacking the public’s pocket.”
The fuel price hikes are being attributed in part to mounting financial pressure on state-run OMCs due to soaring crude oil prices, exacerbated by supply chain disruptions from the ongoing West Asia conflict.
Despite the global triggers, the Opposition has been blaming the fuel crisis on domestic policy mismanagement. Prior to Monday’s hike, fuel prices rose by up to 91 paise per litre on Saturday. That followed a 90-paise increase on May 19, and a massive Rs 3 per litre hike on May 15.
Four states — West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala — as well as the Union Territory of Puducherry, held their Assembly elections in late April. The results of these elections were announced on May 4. Fuel prices remained stable until May 12.
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Gandhi has been critical of the government regarding inflation and fuel prices. On May 12, he said the rise in fuel prices is the result of mistakes by the Modi government, but that the public will ultimately bear the burden. He then remarked, “The Rs 3 shock has already arrived. The rest of the recovery will be done in installments.”
