The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday (May 25, 2026) criticised Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on fuel price hikes, while defending the Union government’s handling of the challenges amid global geopolitical tensions.

Addressing a press conference, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India has been confronting the challenges arising from the West Asia crisis with strength.

Referring to the remarks of Mr. Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on the latest increase in prices of petrol and diesel, Mr. Bhatia asked: “In a global challenge, whether one belongs to the ruling party or Opposition, can they not stand with the country?”

Low inflation

The BJP leader said inflation in India was about 4% over the past 80 days, compared to 56% in Malaysia, 52% in the United Arab Emirates, 45% in the U.S., 41% in Philippines, 38% in Sri Lanka, 32% in Canada, and 22% in China.

“We are standing strong. With or without Rahul Gandhi, the country will progress further,” he said, pointing out that during the same period, petrol prices increased by 58% in Malaysia, 46% in the U.S., 34% in Canada, 25% in China, and 20% in Britain. “In India, the increase has been only about 5-5.5%,” Mr. Bhatia added.

He said for nearly 65-70 days of the West Asia war, fuel prices in India remained unchanged as the intention was to ensure that common citizen did not suffer. “Oil companies absorbed losses because they did not want the public to suffer. Even after 75 days, petrol and diesel are available in India. While there is a gas crisis globally, domestic gas remains available in India because it is our priority,” said Mr. Bhatia.

‘Congress spread panic’

The BJP leader targeted the Congress party, alleging that after the war began, instead of supporting the Prime Minister’s appeal to citizens, it “spread panic” through misinformation. Responding to a query, he said every decision taken related to fuel prices would be in the public interest.

He said the Union government had earlier reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel. The BJP-ruled States also decreased Value Added Tax (VAT) multiple times, but some States ruled by the Congress had not brought down the tax. “In Telangana, VAT is 35%. In Kerala, it is 30%, along with an additional ₹4 charge, and in Karnataka it is 29%. So, why are they not reducing it?” he asked.

BJP leader Syed Zafar Islam said: “If you compare spot prices and future prices of oil, the gap between them used to be very narrow earlier. Now, the gap has widened significantly. This indicates that because of the evolving global geopolitical situation, oil prices have become extremely volatile. Even amid such volatility, the Government of India has placed only a very small burden on the people.”

“As for how the situation will evolve further, geopolitical signals are changing every day. One day it appears a solution has emerged, the next day it appears otherwise. I believe we must wait for a permanent solution regarding the Strait of Hormuz situation. Once that happens, the current upward pressure on oil prices will reduce,” he said, adding that the government would continue to think about the welfare of the people.