Launching a scathing attack on the Centre over rising fuel prices, former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram claimed that the Modi government has collected over 26.5 lakh crore as fuel taxes. He also called on the people to ask themselves what an average family got in return for paying this huge amount as fuel tax.

Taking to Twitter, Chidambaram said that in the eight years of the Modi government, the central government collected Rs 26,51,919 crore as fuel taxes. "There are approximately 26 crore families in India. That means from every family the central government has collected, on average, Rs 1,00,000 as fuel tax!" the former Union finance minister said. "Ask yourself, what did an average family get in return for paying this huge amount as fuel tax?" Chidambaram tweeted.

His attack on the government came on the day petrol and diesel prices were again hiked by 80 paise a litre each, taking the total increase in rates in less than two weeks to Rs 8 per litre. Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state depending upon the incidence of local taxation.

Earlier in the day, the state-run oil marketing companies raised fuel prices for the 12th time in the last 14 days. Consequently, in the past 14 days, petrol prices have increased by Rs 8.40 per litre in the national capital.

The price of petrol and diesel in New Delhi have increased again by 40 paise per litre. As per pump prices, petrol now costs Rs 103.81 per litre and diesel Rs 95.07 per litre in the national capital. In the financial capital Mumbai, prices were hiked to Rs 118.83 per litre for petrol and diesel to Rs 103.07 per litre.

Till last Tuesday, fuel prices were steady since November 2021 when the Centre reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 5 and Rs 10 per litre, respectively.

(With inputs from agencies)