Bengaluru, March 28: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala launched a sharp attack on the central government on Friday. The Congress leaders accused the center of massive ‘loot’ through taxes on petrol and diesel over the past 11 years.
Addressing a joint press conference at the KPCC office in Bengaluru, Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged that the central government has collected ₹43 lakh crore in taxes on petrol and diesel since 2014, equating to approximately ₹1,000 crore per day.
He claimed that despite the recent announcement to reduce excise duty on petrol and diesel, the common man would see no real relief. Surjewala argued that this move was aimed at benefiting private oil companies.
He stated that the reduction in excise duty is a deception. The government presents it as relief, but it will not reach the public. Instead, it will provide private oil companies with an annual tax concession of ₹3.6 lakh crore.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah further alleged that fuel prices remain high despite a decline in global crude oil prices. He noted that in May 2014, the price of petrol was ₹71.41 per liter and diesel was ₹56.71 per liter, while current prices in Bengaluru are ₹102.96 and ₹90.99 per liter, respectively.
Siddaramaiah argued that petrol and diesel should be significantly cheaper based on international crude oil prices, accusing the central government of imposing high excise duties to boost revenue.
According to Siddaramaiah, the central government has imposed an average excise duty of ₹19.70 per liter on petrol and ₹15.50 per liter on diesel between 2014 and 2025, making fuel tax revenue a major source of income.
Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar accused the central government of repeatedly revising excise duties, claiming there have been 21 amendments in recent years, including 12 increases.
He further alleged that the government is accustomed to raising fuel prices after elections. Citing the elections of 2014, 2019, and 2022, he claimed that petrol and diesel prices were raised immediately after voting concluded.
He also highlighted the significant increase in LPG prices, noting that the cost of a domestic cylinder rose from ₹412 in 2014 to ₹913 in March 2026. In contrast, he stated that international LPG prices had decreased during the same period.
Shivakumar demanded that the central government provide relief instead of burdening the public with high fuel prices.
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