Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the fuel price hike,alleging that robbing common people and giving Adani a "free pass" from America is his "compromised model".
Mr. Kharge also accused the BJP of lacking foresight and leadership.
His remarks came after petrol and diesel prices were hiked by about 90 paise per litre on Tuesday (May 19, 2026), marking the second increase in fuel rates in less than a week after state-run oil firms ended a nearly four-year freeze on revisions.
"Just four days after the price hike, the Modi government has once again increased the prices of petrol and diesel. Having set the stage, preaching about savings while shifting the burden of their failures onto the public — this effort is in full swing," he alleged on X.
"Robbing the common people and giving Adani a free pass from America - this is Modiji's Compromised Model," the Congress chief alleged.
He was referring to the U.S. Department of Justice permanently dropping all criminal charges against industrialist Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar, bringing a high-profile securities and wire fraud case in New York to a complete close after prosecutors concluded they could not sustain the allegations.
Referring to the issue of purchase of Russian oil, Mr. Kharge said, "Modi ji, who fills the air with false pride about being the 'vishwaguru', has begged and pleaded with America for a one-month extension on 'permission' to buy Russian oil. Every time he does this, he hurts the pride of 1.4 billion Indians. No previous government has ever stooped to this level".
"Now the question is: if, according to the government, we've been "allowed" to do this, then why burden the common people with the weight of petrol-diesel price hikes?" he asked.
"I repeat once again - there is a lack of foresight and leadership in the BJP," Mr Kharge also alleged.
A temporary U.S. sanctions waiver allowing the sale and delivery of Russian seaborne crude expired on May 16, marking the second time Washington has allowed the relief measure to lapse without clarity on an extension.
The general licence, first issued by the U.S. Treasury Department in mid-March and extended in April, was meant to ease pressure in global energy markets after the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran triggered the largest-ever oil supply disruption.
A senior petroleum ministry official said on Monday that India has been purchasing Russian oil irrespective of US sanctions waivers and will continue to do so based on commercial viability and energy security needs.
The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said when the crisis hit, the BJP leaders were busy with elections and then they spun slippery words to devise a plan for the "loot" and "in the meantime, got their dearest friend off the hook too!"
"You don't become a 'vishwaguru' just by doing sponsored PR abroad... Modi ji, you have to ensure accountability to the people.
"Don't run from the real questions... The public has no interest in how you eat your mangoes or which tonic you drink," the Congress president said.
"If you respond by saying what you're actually doing about the crisis, only then will you be called the people's true 'Pradhan Sevak'; otherwise, you'll remain nothing more than a mere 'pracharak' (propagandist)," Mr. Kharge claimed.