New Delhi [India], May 15 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Friday slammed the Congress for criticising the Centre after petrol and diesel prices were hiked across India in the wake of the West Asia conflict.

In New Delhi, the petrol prices rose from Rs 94.77 to Rs 97.77 per litre, while diesel prices increased from Rs 87.67 to Rs 90.67 per litre. In Jaipur, the petrol prices in Rajasthan's Jaipur rose to Rs 107.97 per litre, and diesel prices climbed to Rs 93.23 per litre. CNG prices were also hiked to Rs 79.09 per kg in the national capital.

Bhandari accused Congress of politicising the issue when the world is facing an energy crisis. He claimed that India is witnessing about a 3.5 per cent hike in fuel prices, less than several countries across the globe.

The BJP leader defended the price hike, citing the Brent crude price, which is hovering over USD 100 per barrel.

Bhandari wrote on X, 'The Congress Party should be ashamed of itself to politicise everything! Congress is a party which always looks at political opportunity in any global crisis, only to have egg on their face! Despite Brent crude staying above USD 100/barrel and fuel prices surging globally after the Strait of Hormuz crisis, India has seen only a ~3.5 per cent increase in petrol & diesel prices after 76 days of stable prices!'

'Compare that to: Pakistan: +55 per cent, Malaysia: +56 per cent, US: +45 per cent, UAE: +52 per cent, China +23 per cent, France +31 per cent. This is a time for economic patriotism. 140 crore Indians are with PM Narendra Modi Ji & Congress yet again is getting exposed because of its desperate politics,' the X post read.

This comes after the Congress termed the price hike an extortion by the Centre.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged that the increase would worsen inflation and adversely impact economic growth amid the ongoing West Asia crisis. In a post on X, he said Congress had repeatedly urged the government to pass on the benefits of lower international crude oil prices to consumers in previous years, but alleged that domestic fuel prices were not reduced at the time.

'For years, when international oil prices were soft or declining, the Indian National Congress had been urging that those benefits should be passed on to Indian consumers and that domestic prices of gas, petrol, and diesel should be reduced. That, however, did not happen, and consumers were fleeced,' Ramesh said.

Targeting the Centre over the latest fuel price revision, he further stated, 'Now that international oil prices are climbing up because of the war in West Asia unleashed by the PM's good friends--the US and Israel--and assembly elections are over, the Modi Govt has increased petrol and diesel prices after having hiked commercial LPG prices earlier. This is bound to lead to further inflation that is now projected to be close to 6 per cent for this financial year. Growth estimates will be lowered considerably.' (ANI)