Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday slammed the Union government for hike in petrol and diesel prices, calling the move an “anti-people decision” that would further burden common citizens who are already grappling with the rising cost of living.
In a statement, Mr Siddaramaiah accused the Modi-led government of “punishing the people for their own failure”. He argued that “the centre’s failed foreign policy, economic mismanagement and reckless handling of inflation” had forced the government to shift the burden to the public.
The chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, warned that the hike would have a cascading effect on essential commodities and services. He said transport charges, vegetable and food prices, milk prices, construction costs, school supply charges, taxi and autorickshaw fares and farm input costs are all expected in the coming days.
“The burden will fall heavily on farmers, labourers, petty traders, women managing household budgets and the middle class,” he said.
Mr. Siddaramaiah further alleged that when global oil prices were low, the Union government did not provide adequate relief to consumers and instead levied high taxes to increase its revenue. “But when prices go up, it immediately shifts the burden to the citizens. That’s not good governance, that’s exploitation,” he said.
The Chief Minister also accused the Center of failing to control inflation, protect the rupee and manage the economy effectively. Demanding an immediate rollback of the fuel price hike, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should “take responsibility” for the hardships faced by ordinary families.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday blamed the Center for the rising cost of living and said “price hike is Modi’s contribution”. He said that the increase in the prices of fuel and essential commodities has greatly burdened the common people.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Shivakumar criticized the Centre’s handling of international issues and linked it to the current price hike. He questioned how people could manage daily life without petrol, saying that travel was essential for livelihood. He also described proposals to reduce fuel consumption and avoid buying gold as impractical, saying such measures were unrealistic for ordinary citizens managing their daily needs.
All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday accused the NDA government of running a “booty cycle” by raising fuel prices after the conflict in West Asia. He said in a press release that in the last 11 years, the Modi government has collected ₹43 crore through taxes on petrol and diesel. “Since 2014, it has been ₹1,000 crore every day,” he claimed.
He said the price of petrol in May 2014 during the UPA regime was ₹71.41 per liter while diesel cost ₹56.71 per litre. Today, petrol in Delhi is selling at ₹ 102.92 per liter and diesel at ₹ 90.99 per litre. According to him, with oil prices falling from US$108 per barrel in 2014 to around US$70 per barrel before the conflict in West Asia, petrol should cost ₹61.60 per liter and diesel ₹56.99 per litre. “The rest are total loot,” he claimed.
Published – 15 May 2026 22:01 IST
