Fuel Prices Up? Smriti Irani's Face-Off With Congress Leader In Flight

Union Minister Smriti Irani was caught unawares on Sunday in a Delhi-Guwahati flight when questioned about the rise in fuel prices. Her interrogator was Netta D'Souza, the acting chief of Congress women's wing.

Ms D'Souza later tweeted the video where the minister is also seen recording the encounter on her cell phone.

The caption of her tweet, where the minster was also tagged, read, "Faced Modi Minister @smritiirani ji, enroute to Guwahati. When asked about Unbearable Rising Prices of LPG, she blamed Vaccines, Raashan & even the poor! Do watch the video excerpts, on how she reacted to common people's misery!"

In the video, the Congress leader questioned Ms Irani as the passengers were deboarding the flight.

Ms Irani initially said the Congress leader was "blocking the way". Asked about the shortage of cooking gas and "stoves without gas", the minister is heard saying "please don't lie".

Later, she is heard saying that she is being "accosted".

The price of petrol has been hiked 14 times in 16 days, pushing up prices by Rs 10 a litre. There has been no hike in the last two days.

In Delhi, a litre of petrol is now being sold at Rs 105.41, while diesel is being sold at Rs 96.67 a litre.

In Mumbai -- where fuel prices are the highest among the four metros -- petrol is retailed at Rs 120.51 per litre while diesel is being sold at Rs 104.77 per litre.

Fuel rates held steady for over four months despite the spike in crude oil prices. The opposition has claimed that it is a poll tactic of the BJP, which retained al four states where elections were recently held.

Attributing the price rise to the Russia-Ukraine war, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said the increase in India worked out to be only 5 per cent compared to countries like the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, and Sri Lanka, where prices have gone up by 50 per cent.

The hike in petrol prices, he added, was very low in India in the aftermath of the war.