Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri criticizes Karnataka government's fuel tax hike; check details

Expressing his disapproval on X, Puri said, "After not fulfilling the promises of transferring Rs 8,500/month to a woman of each family, the Congress-ruled Karnataka government has saddled the people of Karnataka with the burden of paying Rs 3/litre more for petrol and diesel in the state."

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on Sunday (June 16) criticized the Karnataka government's decision to increase the sales tax on fuel, which raised petrol prices by Rs 3 and diesel prices by Rs 3.02 with immediate effect.

Expressing his disapproval on X, Puri said, "After not fulfilling the promises of transferring Rs 8,500/month to a woman of each family, the Congress-ruled Karnataka government has saddled the people of Karnataka with the burden of paying Rs 3/litre more for petrol and diesel in the state."

He highlighted the broader impact of the price hike and said, "This decision will force the people of Karnataka to pay higher amounts for food items, clothing, medicines, and all basic necessities as fuel prices directly impact the prices of all goods. Such a decision, just after elections have concluded, exposes the hypocrisy of the Congress, which talks about mehengai (inflation) but levies approximately Rs 8/litre-Rs 12/litre additional VAT in comparison with BJP-ruled states."

Puri pointed out the disparity in fuel prices, noting, "With this hike, petrol in Karnataka is now Rs 8.21/litre more expensive than in BJP-run governments in UP and Gujarat. The price gap is even more staggering if Karnataka is compared with BJP-governed Arunachal Pradesh, where the party has come back to power strongly. The petrol prices in Karnataka are over Rs 12/litre higher than in Arunachal. The price gap for diesel is Rs 8.59/litre between the two states, with Arunachal being much less expensive."

He contrasted the current situation with the central government's handling of global energy turmoil over the last three years and said, "The NDA government led by PM Narendra Modi Ji deftly diversified India’s crude oil purchases to ensure that petrol prices actually decreased by about 14% and diesel prices fell by nearly 11% during the November 2021 - May 2024 period. During the same period, the US saw petrol prices soar 29%, while neighbors Pakistan and Sri Lanka faced severe financial stress due to the spike in global crude prices."