Fuel Price Hike Sparks Political War; Oppn Calls Out Centre's 'Double Standards' | Top Details

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]So top of the hour it seems that the gap is becoming smaller when it comes to announcing the staggered approach that it seems that the government has undertaken when it comes to announcing fuel price hike. The first one was about three rupees then two of them the hike that happened under one rupee and this is now again a two rupee hike that has now been announced on part of the government. Petrol and diesel prices that has been hiked for the fourth time in the last 12 days amid the ongoing war and with the latest hike of rupees 2 the petrol prices have now in the national capital cross the 100 rupee mark petrol prices that has now been hiked by 2.61 rupees while diesel prices have been hiked by 2.71 rupees. So let's get you an on ground report as far as when it comes to different parts of the country and how petrol and diesel prices are now looking at. Uh we have Mohit, we have also Ankit and we have Dave joining us live. Good morning to all of you. But in the meantime, let's get you exactly when it comes to the city-wise breakdown and how exactly are we looking at the fuel prices. So the fourth hike in the last 12 days currently in the metros. If we talk about Delhi, uh last time when we were talking about the third hike, it was still at the 99 mark. Now it has crossed 102.12.

[00:01:09]In Kolkata, this is the costliest where we are looking at the petrol prices at 113.51.

[00:01:15]Mumbai at 111, Chennai at 107.77.

[00:01:19]That is what the petrol price is looking at. Now let's take a look at diesel prices. Diesel costing around 95.20 rupees per liter in Delhi. Kolkata 99 crossing almost 100. We are looking at Chennai at 99.55. Mumbai at 97.83.

[00:01:34]Well, that seems to be the fourth hike.

[00:01:36]We don't know if this is going to be the last one though there are much more hikes that are going to come up in the future. Let's in the meantime connect with our reporters there. Well, Dave and Moit is also with us and Ankit joining us. So Mohit let's get an update from you as far as in the national capital if you can show us the current prices which is now come into effect immediately.

[00:01:59]>> Well yes in fact right now we are reporting from a Janpatrol pump and you can see uh behind me is the new rates over here and you can see the petrol is being sold at 102.12 uh rupees per liter and the diesel is at 95.2 rupees per liter. So in past four weeks there have been substantial increase in the fuel prices and in the end people on the ground are fairing the brunt and you can see that how the premium petrol prices are also have gone up by 111 rupees that is the current price over here. We can see people over here in the morning. They have come up and they have feeling.

[00:02:49]G s.

[00:03:07]So there you see the people over here.

[00:03:09]We just spoke to a cab driver who said that he travels daily from on daily basis from Utrahan to uh to Delhi and it is surely going to impact him and yes that is one important point Aita over here it's not just that the fuel prices have gone up and people will have to shell out more money to uh to ensure that they refill their tanks but uh the essential items like groceries, vegetables and the other products will also go up given the fact that transportation cost will also go up and right now we can again show you our visuals. The petrol prices in Delhi as of now the diesel prices are at 95.2 uh rupees per liter. 102.12 is the petrol price. And when it comes to premium petrol uh the price is at 111.11 rupees per liter. So in the end people will have to shell out more. In the end they are suffering because people say that the in income is not not going up but the prices have gone up and also this will have a cascading effect on the the transportation of uh the daily items the items of daily need like fuel uh like food uh like groceries. So in the end the econ the inflation will go up and perhaps that is why the people over here are coming out and they are saying that this will surely majorly impact their pockets. Absolutely because it's going to do that in the long run as far as almost uh you know when it comes to this hike that has now been reported in the last 12 days the prices of petrol and diesel that have seen another hike and this is the fourth such hike less than two weeks amid uncertainties that still stem out of the US Iran conflict in West Asia and the closure of the state of Homos the opposition already starting to question when it comes to the government and the politics that seems to be playing out let's put out exactly what Manakamor of the Congress party has now been saying there are other leaders from the opposition who are continuously attacking the government and this as far as when it comes to the Congress party going on to say that the OMC laws the argument that according to the Congress leader he's demolishing he says that the OMC's are losing rupes 38 per liter on diesel today let's ask where did the 81,000 cr go when it comes to the three major oil companies that posted 81,000 cr record profit in the financial year 24 while you paid 100 rupees plus per liter they made profit s for seven quarters and passed on zero to consumers. And crude crashed in 2016. They hiked the excise by 11 per liter and the OMC's have been making record profit. But when it comes to the losses that flows up to you, the profits that they keep with themselves.

[00:05:42]Now this is the kind of counter that is now coming in from the opposition side because they we have heard it coming from the opposition multiple leaders that have been raising questions when it comes to the oil you know companies there if uh you know when there is recession or there is a fall in crude price hike uh crude prices there then why is that benefit not passed on to the consumers that seems to be the question they are asking because it is important to know that India imports over 80% of the crude oil and its processes and pays in dollars making it doubly vulnerable to both the oil price spikes and the currency depreciation.

[00:06:19]>> Well, yes, absolutely. It is very important to note the fact that the OMC's had been incurring and bearing losses for a considerably long amount of time. In fact, the prices have been raised after a gap of nearly 4 and 1/2 years. However, it is extremely alarming because the way the spike has been carried out and the way the prices have been raised on CNG, oil, on petrol as well as diesel in nearly half a dozen cities across India is surely a cause for concern because the consumers are saying that they are helpless and they're forced to buy at such an expensive rate. However, it has entirely disrupted their monthly budget. Several of them paying fees of children for tuitions as well as schools. uh the transporters are also complaining because they are not able to uh pass on or rather increase the prices and uh take that kind of money in terms of fair from their passengers as well. So they are bearing the brunt. In fact, even the delivery partners uh Swiggy and all of these food app delivery guys have also been saying that while we continue to pay a higher price for petrol, our bosses don't understand that what was earlier going in our pocket will considerably get reduced. So what are we really making out here? So of course however this is not a time to play politics but the bigger concern out here is the common man because the common man is of the opinion that because of the fact that there is no end toend connectivity of metro or late night availability of e- ras as well as those battery operated ras they're forced to do their own >> that is now passed on to the common man and to such that we are now looking at even in staggered approaches that the government seems to be undertaking it is not just in one go so we still don't know how much you know fuel price would be hiked in the coming days. Let's in the meantime take a look at other opposition reactions that have been also coming in. Here is Priyanka Chhaturvedi of the UBD faction of the ships saying that in Mumbai petrol prices has reached shaganka number which is around 111 diesel touching 100 in metros in the next price hike what is likely in the next 24 hours. So they are not ruling out that there is much more to come as far as when it comes to the petrol and diesel prices are concerned. uh petrol prices that have already crossed the 100 figure mark in all of the metros if you talk about in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and also in Chennai and Kolkata having uh the costliest petrol prices and even when it comes to diesel prices that are also nearing uh the 100 rupee mark. So this is what we are now getting to know and part of the opposition reactions there. Of course when it comes to in the coming days if there are more hikes that are going to be planned. Uh this is something that the opposition has now maintained because the pressure on the OMC's that actually reflects the scale of India's exposure to the West Asia crisis and the economic challenges that the country is facing. So the four price hikes that began from the 15th of May and just this was days before when the prime minister has issued uh you know the request that the appeals that he made to the people there when it comes to lowering their fuel consumption and that is what we are now looking at in the last 12 days there has been four hikes that has been reported. So on the 15th of May, first hike that was reported of rupees three in petrol in diesel on the 19th of May and on the 23rd of May, we're looking at a you know when it comes to a hike which was uh not even a rupee and now we are looking on the 25th of May around 2.61 rupees hike that has been reported. Mr. Tomakan of the BJP is connected with us. Sir, good morning. Well, people again are waking up to another fuel price hike. Uh you know this is a report coming in. This is the fourth one in the last 12 days.

[00:09:45]Well, this is a situation that is caused not by an internal issue. This is caused by an international situation which is beyond our control. And in terms of foreign exchange, this is one of the most highest level of expenditure that we face. So it is important that we um as a prime minister said we need to rationalize our usage of uh petroleum products because still such time as the situation stabilizes across the global uh situation.

[00:10:21]>> It is necessary for us to bear this burden. for them. Yeah, this is something that this isn't a medicine but I think this is this is something that is required and as I said medicine it in in the long term it will be useful for the economy.

[00:10:41]All right sir let's see because the congress is already putting up questions and they are now asking that when it comes to the benefits if the crude oil prices crashes why is it not passed on over to the armadmi because we don't know if the you know fuel prices have already touched rupees 100 and if the fuel prices stabilize in the coming days will the fuel prices then go down sir >> uh it certainly will be looked at I mean this is not something that uh the government has any intention to pe put the people and uh you know to put people in trouble on these issues.

[00:11:17]It'll be relevant that we maintain peace and the Congress's agitation >> misplaced because essentially you are fighting against a national interest because you know the highest uh cost on our excheer is known and during the Congress period too these kind of situations have emerged and they need to look at themselves passing judgment on the present government.

[00:11:48]>> Thank you, Mr. Tom Burdakan for joining in. Well, that seems to be the same focus that we are now looking at, especially when it comes to the fuel price surge that we are looking at because the opposition has been taking pot shots at the center. The Congress calling out the double standards and citing that there are 12 years of data to take on the government saying that when the crude prices were low then the benefits were not passed on to the consumers and this is what we are looking at in the last 12 days when it comes to continuous hikes that has been reported in fuel prices.

[00:12:31]Diesel perrol.

[00:12:53]Diesel Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech.

[00:13:27]Congress pump.

[00:14:02]Diesel reaction.

[00:14:31]because we're going to play out exactly what has been the government's point of view especially when it comes to a day before the first hike we are looking at uh uh what the government has been saying that even despite in the last four years fuel prices have not been increased and India still is in a relatively stable position has suffered in stocks of crude oil LNG and LPG despite the ongoing disruptions around the straight of listening to the minister himself West Asia.

[00:15:09]You natural gas LPG.

[00:15:45]pipe gas connection conne OMC loss recovery spirit cooperative.

[00:16:09]So let's talk about the data that is now being shared as far as the government sources on the fuel price hike and saying that India has seen one of the lowest fuel hikes that has happened globally and it is just about 7.5% hike that has been reported in India versus around 10 to 90% hike that has been seen and witnessed worldwide. Now this is coming in as far as data is concerned that India has held prices steady for at least 78 days despite the war in the situation that still remains volatile in the Middle East. So here is the minister there just before the hike that was first one was announced as far as saying that India has converted the challenge into an opportunity by boosting domestic LPG production and also asking that the government was closely monitoring the situation and has urged when it comes to panic buying and also calling for voluntary moderation to the government sources data that we are picking up India still comparatively very low when it comes to the fuel price hike that has been announced globally.

[00:17:06]Well yes and the government has been saying this that for 78 days they held uh their ground and uh the pressure that was on the government on the ministry and on the OMC's that was not uh passed on to the consumers but in the end uh the when they reached the threshold they they had to increase the prices but when it comes to the comparison I would just like to read that how exactly there have been when it comes to various other countries specifically India neighbor how rates have gone up we know for a fact that in myar uh the petrol percentage has been changed from around plus 89% in Malaysia 56% Pakistan 54% UA 50 52% and so on. So various countries generally have increased their prices uh post uh the blockade that is going on in West Asia and still we do not know about when exactly the state of Hormos would be completely open. Also uh the government sources say that it's also incumbent upon the state governments to ensure that they pass on the benefit to the people. How they can reduce the VAT prices and perhaps that is why the government says that the prices in various states are according to the VAT that is being uh that is being levied over by there by the state government.

[00:18:18]So for example in Delhi the petrol prices are at 102 rupees. Then in Maria state the petrol prices have gone more than 110 rupees because of the VAT. So clearly the government says that when it comes to the comparison to the other countries or when it comes to the VAT we are still stable but then the prices have gone up and in the end the common man will have to bear the brunt and you can see over here that how again I like to show our viewers the prices of fuel in Delhi the diesel now will cost people more diesel will cost around 95.2 2 rupees per liter. The petrol would be around 102.12 rupees per liter.

[00:18:54]>> That's the assurance that is coming from the minister himself where he has said that India has not increased fuel prices in the last four years and still has sufficient stocks of crude oil, LNG and LPG despite the ongoing disruptions around the trade of Homos. Now as far as the disruptions are concerned because there seems to be such positive indication that there would be a peace deal signed very very soon and for the first time in several weeks we are looking at the Brent crude prices that have now gone below the $100 per barrel mark. We are looking at the Brent crude prices that currently stand at 98.27 uh dollars per barrel and this is in weeks that we are looking at just few days ago the you know when it comes to per barrel uh prices that had gone up to crossing $110 $111 per barrel. However, this seems to indicate certain positivity uh that is now coming across from the state of Homos especially when it comes to the reopening and the kind of assurance that President Trump has now made. However, it remains to be seen when do we actually see a peace deal being signed. But there are indications that have been coming in and of course when it comes to the Brent crude prices that immediately see that kind of reflection uh when it comes to across the world when it comes to the uh the sentiment that is also reflected across the market. So when the markets open up, we are going to see how the Indian markets also react. But for the first time in weeks, we are now looking at the Brent crude prices. Mohit has now gone beyond $100 per barrel mark. This seems to be, you know, a slight relief. But how long, you know, does it stabilize and how longer will it take the relief to actually come to India? That also remains to be seen.

[00:20:27]>> Well, Amit, as of now, the Bren crude prices have gone down to 98.274 274 and they have dropped below $100 uh dollars per barrel. But the question over here is Amitita that whether this will be passed on to the customer or not because when it comes to this news has come today and the news has also come today that the prices of fuel have gone up in the country. uh so it's incumbent upon the uh oil marketing companies that when exactly uh they will uh they will be able to I mean uh uh recover their losses and perhaps that's why that's why everybody is asking and that is why the opposition is asking then when the brand crude price was at around $60 $65 per liter why that the benefit was not passed on to the consumers and now it has gone to around $100 per barrel then why exactly uh the OMC's are rising the prices increasing the prices but it's all because of the West Asia conflict and >> government sources have been highlighting that the price difference across is because of the excessive VAT that has also been incurred on part of certain opposition rule states. The OMC's were losing heavily and this seems to be only a partial pass through that is now done. This is the fourth hike viewers that has now been made in the fuel prices in the last 12 days. We don't know if there are more to come.

[00:21:36]However, when it comes to cutting down on the fuel consumption and uh you know when it comes to also what the prime minister has said to follow the advices and the request that has been made that seems to be the need of the hour. In the meantime, we head into a very short break.