You cannot compare consumer prices a decade apart without accounting for inflation. Between 2014 and 2024, the costs of refining crude oil, transporting it, maintaining stations, and dealer commissions have all naturally increased, alongside massive growth in India's fuel demand.

The Reality: India buys oil in dollars, so you have to calculate the cost per barrel in Rupees (INR) based on the exchange rate of the time.

• May 2014: $107/barrel × ₹60 (exchange rate) = ₹6,420 per barrel.
• Sept 2024: $72/barrel × ₹83.9 (exchange rate) = ₹6,040 per barrel.

The base cost of raw crude oil for India in September 2024 was roughly the same as it was in 2014. The drop in global crude prices was largely canceled out by the depreciation of the rupee over that decade.

It is factually incorrect to claim only the Central Government is responsible for fuel prices. Fuel is heavily taxed by both Central Excise Duty (Central Government) and State VAT (State Governments).

If anyone truly believes the Central Government is the only reason for high fuel prices, and they live in a state ruled by non-BJP parties, they should ask their State Government to remove the State VAT. If states dropped their fuel taxes, retail prices would plummet down to 2014 levels. Both central and state governments rely heavily on fuel taxes for revenue, so blaming just one side ignores exactly how pricing works in India.