Delhi Congress president Devendra Yadav said the protest was aimed at drawing attention to the rising cost of essential commodities under the Centre.Yadav said, “This is our fight, and it is the people’s fight. We will fight this. This is a very serious matter and it is being repeated again and again. They came to power in 2014 and in their 12-year rule, they have doubled inflation. Be it the price of fuel, vegetables, milk, LPG or CNG, this government has continuously increased inflation and has not taken any effective steps to provide relief to the people.”Commenting on the rise in fuel prices, Yadav said, “People are being forced to travel by bullock carts.”During the protest, Congress leaders and workers raised slogans and accused the government of failing to control inflation and provide relief to consumers facing rising daily expenses.The protests came after public sector oil marketing companies announced fuel price hike by nearly Rs 3 per liter on Friday, pushing up petrol and diesel prices in major metro cities. Petrol prices in Delhi rose to around Rs 97.77 per litre, while diesel stood at Rs 90.67 per litre.The increase comes amid ongoing disruptions in global energy supplies due to tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. Global crude oil prices have risen to around $105 from around $70 a barrel before the conflict, although fuel prices in India remained largely unchanged until the latest revision.Oil company officials said further hikes could not be ruled out, but any additional increases would depend on the government’s approval and decision regarding the timing and extent of the revision. Despite the latest increase, state-run fuel retailers are still not fully recovering costs. According to CRISIL, oil marketing companies are currently incurring a loss of around Rs 10 per liter on petrol and Rs 13 on diesel.Barring a Rs 2 per liter excise duty cut announced by the Center in March 2024, fuel prices remained largely unchanged from April 2022. Meanwhile, the prices of piped cooking gas have not been revised.