Congress targets Prime Minister over fuel price hike, links his trip to Norway to Adani Group interests

File photo of Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge. | Photo credit: PTI

The Congress on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) stepped up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his visit to Norway and also over the latest round of hike in fuel prices.

Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said giving a free pass to industrialist Gautam Adani and “robbing” the common people was Mr Modi’s “compromised model”. Mr Kharge’s comments came after petrol and diesel prices rose by around 90 paise per liter across the country, the second increase in less than a week.

His party colleague and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, wondered if the Prime Minister’s personal request had led to the Adani Group being removed from the blacklist of Norwegian investment funds.

Mr. Gandhi’s remarks were related to the decision by Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest with assets estimated at $1.2 trillion, managed by Norges Bank, to spin off Adani Green Energy Ltd. (AGEL) from its portfolio earlier this year due to concerns related to alleged financial misconduct. The bank had earlier in May 2024 excluded Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone from its portfolio.

“We are getting very good information these days. Modiji, has Norway agreed to your personal request to remove Adani from their pension fund blacklist?” Mr Gandhi asked in a post on X, sharing an image of a report on the sovereign wealth fund’s decision and Mr Modi’s visit to Norway – the first by an Indian prime minister in 43 years.

Amid the controversy over a Norwegian journalist attempting to ask Mr Modi a question after a joint briefing with the Norwegian prime minister, Mr Gandhi posted a separate post. “When there is nothing to hide, there is nothing to fear. What will happen to India’s image when the world sees the panic of a compromised PM and runs away from a few questions?”

Mr Kharge widened the attack by linking the Adani issue to the latest fuel price hike, accusing the government of being biased towards elections and giving false assurances when the crisis first erupted.

“Robbing the common people and giving Adani a free pass from America is Modiji’s compromised model,” the Congress leader said in the post, referring to the US Justice Department’s announced decision to drop criminal charges against Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani.

The Congress president said the BJP-led government lacked “foresight and leadership” and asked why the common man was being burdened by the hike in fuel prices when oil imports from Russia continued.

“Modiji, who fills the air with false pride of being a ‘vishwaguru’, has begged and pleaded with America for a one-month extension of ‘permission’ to buy Russian oil. Every time he does this, he hurts the pride of 1.4 billion Indians,” Mr Kharge said.

“Just four days after the Modi hike, the government has again raised the prices of petrol and diesel. After setting the stage and preaching austerity, efforts are in full swing to shift the burden of their failure to the public,” he added.

Published – May 19, 2026 1:03 PM IST