On May 15, 2026, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, condemned the Indian government's decision to increase petrol and diesel prices by ₹3.14 and ₹3.11 per litre, respectively. He emphasized that the burden of these hikes is ultimately falling on the common people, stating, 'The Modi government’s mistake, the public will pay the price.' Congress party members echoed his concerns, with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge labeling the situation a 'Modi-Govt-Made crisis' that is financially straining citizens. The price increases come amid a backdrop of rising global crude oil prices, exacerbated by ongoing conflicts in West Asia, particularly tensions between the United States and Iran, which have raised fears of oil supply disruptions. Government sources indicated that oil marketing companies were incurring losses of more than ₹1,000 crore per day, leading the Finance Ministry to conclude that it could no longer subsidize these losses. This situation has raised alarms about the economic implications for the public as the government struggles to manage the fallout from international market fluctuations.