New Delhi, May 23: After the third fuel price hike in eight days, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday alleged that the government was “looting” the public’s earnings in instalments.

In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge claimed that there was a leadership crisis in the government , saying that while other countries are providing relief to their people, the BJP government here continues to “loot” them.

“Petrol has now crossed Rs 100, this time around…Looting the public’s earnings in instalments!

“The BJP’s appetite isn’t satisfied even after slapping a central tax of Rs 1,000 crore daily on petrol-diesel… When international prices were low, they didn’t pass on the benefits to the people – instead, they looted them relentlessly,” he said in his post.

Kharge claimed that when the crisis hit, the BJP leadership got involved in elections and after the elections, and they preached sacrifice. “Then, in just 8 days, they hiked petrol-diesel prices three times,” he said. “We were told that prices in India are the lowest compared to foreign countries.”

“When the war in West Asia broke out and PM Modi was busy feeding us Indians the ‘everything’s fine’ sedative, other countries were providing relief to their citizens,” he claimed.

The Congress chief cited the example of Italy saying it cut excise on fuel, giving their people some relief, while Australia reduced excise duty, slashing petrol prices by about Rs 17 per litre for citizens.

He also said that Germany lowered taxes on oil, reducing fuel prices by Rs 17-19 per litre, while the UK provided 100 pounds in oil aid to households and cut taxes on fuel and electricity.

Ireland’s 250 million euro relief package brought petrol prices down by about 0.15 euro/litre and diesel by 0.20 euro/litre, he said.

“Narendra Modi ji, tell us — Who all are getting a share of this installment-based loot? Why are you so compromised?

“The real crisis in this government is one of leadership — 140 crore Indians have now figured that out,” Kharge alleged.

Petrol and diesel prices were raised by 87-91 paise per litre on Saturday, taking the cumulative increase in retail fuel rates to nearly Rs 5 a litre in under 10 days as state-owned firms passed on soaring international oil prices.

The latest revision pushed petrol prices higher by 87 paise per litre and diesel by up to 91 paise across the country, according to industry sources.

The back-to-back increases follow a prolonged freeze in retail fuel prices and come amid elevated crude oil prices in the global market.

With the latest hike, petrol and diesel prices have risen close to Rs 5 a litre since the state-owned oil marketing companies on May 15 ended the hiatus in rate revision, stoking concerns over inflationary pressures and higher transportation costs across the economy.

Petrol and diesel prices were increased by Rs 3 per litre each on May 15 and 90 paise a litre on May 19.

Chennai, May 23: PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday urged authorities to immediately implement the Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s order to close 717 liquor shops across the State.

After assuming office on May 10, the chief minister issued an order to close a total of 717 liquor outlets belonging to the state-owned TASMAC, within two weeks.

“Only 150 from the list of 717 liquor shops have been shut, and that officials concerned have halted the work on closing the remainder, is disappointing”, he alleged in a statement here.

He said the order came directly from the chief minister, and there is no justification for stopping or delaying closures.

“The democratically elected head of the government orders the closures, officials must carry out the order rather than delay it for unclear reasons”.

The PMK leader alleged that the “liquor lobby” is using its full influence to oppose the government’s decision to close the 717 outlets.

“Under pressure from that lobby, a petition was filed in the Madras High Court seeking to block the closures”, he said, adding “the court, however, dismissed the petition and commended the government’s decision.

Stating that the chief minister is acting with good intent to close liquor shops and eliminate illegal outlets, he said, “officials must support his aim, not obstruct it”.

Kolkata, May 23: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Kolkata on Saturday for his four-day diplomatic tour to India, with the city marking the opening leg of a visit that carries considerable political and historical resonance.

His arrival in the eastern metropolis ended a 14-year hiatus since an American secretary of state last visited the city, coming only weeks after West Bengal witnessed a landmark political transition with a BJP-led government assuming office.

In a post on X, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said, “Secretary Marco Rubio has landed in Kolkata. This is his first trip to India. Later today, we will call on Prime Minister @narendramodi in New Delhi. Trade, Technology, Defense, QUAD, and many other items to discuss and advance over the next few days!”

Later in another post on X, the US Ambassador said, “Honored to welcome my friend @SecRubio to India! We have an ambitious agenda ahead, including the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, focused on advancing @POTUS ‘ vision for an even stronger U.S.-India partnership. Looking forward to great conversations and making real progress together!”

Rubio became the first US secretary of state to set foot in Kolkata since Hillary Clinton visited the city in May 2012.

The US Department of State said Rubio would visit Mother House, the headquarters of Saint Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in central Kolkata, and the Children’s Home in the city.

Rubio’s India itinerary, scheduled from May 23 to 26 and also encompassing Agra, Jaipur, and New Delhi, is being viewed as diplomatically significant for his scheduled energy talks with India and the meeting with ministers from the Quad nations.

“Well, we want to sell them as much energy as they’ll buy. And obviously, you’ve seen I think we’re at historic levels of US production, and US export,” Rubio told reporters in Miami before he embarked on the trip to Sweden and India.

Responding to a question about India being affected by high energy prices due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Rubio described India as a “great partner” and said he was looking forward to meeting with ministers from the Quad nations.

The Quad meeting is planned for May 26, and it is scheduled to be attended by Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu, with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar presiding over it.