A tweet posted by Narendra Modi on May 23, 2012, when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat, is trending again on social media as India faces its sharpest and most rapid fuel price increases in four years. In the tweet, Modi called a petrol price hike by the Congress-led UPA government a “prime example of the failure” of that administration and warned it would place a burden of hundreds of crores on Gujarat.
The tweet has resurfaced repeatedly during fuel price spikes over the years, but its current virality carries particular weight given the scale and pace of the current round of increases.
Massive hike in #petrol prices is a prime example of the failure of Congress-led UPA. This will put a burden of hundreds of crores on Guj.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2012
Petrol and diesel prices have moved in parallel. Petrol was raised by ₹2.61 per litre and diesel by ₹2.71 per litre on May 25, the fourth revision in under two weeks. Cumulative increases in petrol and diesel prices since May 15 have reached approximately ₹7.5 per litre, pushing Delhi petrol above ₹102 per litre and Mumbai petrol past ₹111 per litre.
The political argument playing out
Opposition parties including Congress and AAP, along with several public figures, have been sharing the 2012 tweet to draw a contrast between the BJP’s posture in opposition and its actions in government. The argument being made is one of political consistency: that the same party which attacked fuel hikes as governance failure under UPA is now presiding over steeper and faster increases.
Supporters of the current government counter that the situations are not comparable. The present round of hikes is driven by a global supply shock triggered by the US-Israel war on Iran that began on February 28, the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and a rupee under severe pressure, factors that are external to domestic policy. They also point to the Modi government’s decision to cut excise duties on fuel in 2022, and to years of stable prices between April 2022 and May 2026, as evidence of a different intent.
The UPA-era hikes that triggered the 2012 tweet were driven by a combination of global crude prices and what the BJP then characterised as domestic policy mismanagement and subsidy policy failures, a characterisation the Congress now applies in reverse.
The hikes have come as fuel retailers absorb the compound pressure of higher global crude prices, Strait of Hormuz shipping disruptions, and a weaker rupee amplifying import costs. The government has framed the increases as a necessary adjustment to protect oil marketing company balance sheets after months of under-recovery.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Please consult a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.