Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday strongly criticised the Union government over the increase in petrol and diesel prices, terming the move an “anti-people decision” that would place an additional burden on ordinary citizens already struggling with rising living costs.

In a statement, Mr. Siddaramaiah accused the Modi-led government of “punishing the people for its own failures”. He alleged that the Centre’s “failed foreign policy, poor economic management and reckless handling of inflation” had forced the government to pass the burden on to the public.

The Chief Minister, who also holds charge of the Finance portfolio, warned that the hike would trigger a cascading effect on essential commodities and services. He said transport charges, vegetable and grocery prices, milk rates, construction costs, school van fees, taxi and autorickshaw fares, and agricultural input expenses were all expected to rise in the coming days.

“The burden will fall heavily on farmers, workers, small traders, women managing household budgets and the middle-class,” he said.

Mr. Siddaramaiah further alleged that when global crude oil prices were low, the Union government did not provide adequate relief to consumers and instead collected high taxes to increase its revenue. “But when prices rise, it immediately transfers the burden to citizens. This is not governance; this is exploitation,” he said.

The Chief Minister also accused the Centre of failing to control inflation, protect the rupee and manage the economy effectively. Demanding an immediate rollback of the fuel price hike, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should “take responsibility” for the hardships faced by ordinary families.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday blamed the Centre for the rising cost of living, stating that “price rise is Modi’s contribution”. He said the increase in fuel and essential commodity prices has placed a heavy burden on common people.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Shivakumar criticised the Centre’s handling of international issues, linking it to the current surge in prices. He questioned how people can manage daily life without using petrol, saying that travel is essential for livelihoods. He also termed suggestions to reduce fuel consumption and avoid buying gold as impractical, saying such measures are unrealistic for ordinary citizens managing everyday needs.

All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday accused the NDA government of running a “cycle of loot” by increasing fuel prices following the conflict in West Asia. In a press note, he alleged that over the last 11 years, the Modi government had collected ₹43 lakh crore through taxes on petrol and diesel. “This comes to ₹1,000 crore every single day since 2014,” he alleged.

He said the price of petrol in May 2014, during the UPA regime, was ₹71.41 per litre, while diesel cost ₹56.71 per litre. Today, petrol is being sold at ₹102.92 per litre and diesel at ₹90.99 per litre in Delhi. According to him, with crude oil prices falling from USD 108 per barrel in 2014 to about USD 70 per barrel before the conflict in West Asia, petrol should cost ₹61.60 per litre and diesel ₹56.99 per litre. “The rest is sheer loot,” he alleged.