New Delhi: The BJP on Friday defended the Centre’s decision to increase petrol and diesel prices by ₹3 per litre, with party leaders and Union ministers claiming that India had managed to keep fuel price hikes lower than many major economies despite the deepening West Asia crisis and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.
The price revision pushed petrol rates in Delhi to ₹97.77 per litre and diesel to ₹99.67. The hike came days after the Assembly elections, triggering sharp criticism from Opposition parties, which accused the Centre of burdening ordinary people while delaying the increase until after voting concluded.
BJP IT cell convenor Amit Malviya claimed India had recorded the lowest increase in fuel prices among major economies even as global crude oil prices surged due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia. He cited data comparing fuel price changes between February 23 and May 15, 2026, alleging that countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom witnessed much steeper hikes than India.
Malviya further claimed that public sector oil companies absorbed massive losses instead of immediately passing the burden to consumers. According to him, oil firms were suffering daily losses of nearly ₹1,000 crore while attempting to shield citizens from inflationary pressure.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also defended the move, describing the increase as a “balanced and necessary” response to extraordinary international circumstances. Rijiju claimed this was the first major fuel price revision in four years and argued that India had limited petrol and diesel price increases to around 3%, while several countries reportedly witnessed hikes ranging from 20% to over 100%.
Rijiju shared figures alleging that Myanmar raised petrol prices by nearly 90% and diesel prices by over 112%, while Malaysia saw increases exceeding 50% for petrol and 70% for diesel.
Meanwhile, Indian Oil Corporation Refineries Director Arvind Kumar claimed oil companies and refineries were operating beyond full capacity to prevent shortages, insisting there would be no fuel scarcity despite mounting pressure caused by global supply disruptions.