betrayal

Title: The Great Indian Middle Class Betrayal: How We Were Fooled for 12 Years

By Author Digvijay Mourya

For over a decade, we have been told a story. A story of economic revival, of "achhe din," and of a government that feels your pain. But if you are a middle-class Indian—filling fuel in your bike, paying EMIs, or buying groceries—you know the truth. You know that the headline "India is the fastest-growing economy" has a footnote: The Indian middle class will pay for it.

Let’s stop mincing words. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) didn't just raise taxes on the common man; they engineered a systemic loot, disguised as fiscal policy. And the evidence is overwhelming.

Here is the blueprint of how they fooled us.

1. The Oil Bonds Lie (₹33 vs ₹9)

Remember the excuse? When petrol and diesel prices began their insane climb, the government pointed to a ghost: ₹1.25 lakh crore in "oil bonds." They claimed that previous governments had left a bill, so they had to raise excise duty to pay it off.

But look at the math. Within a couple of years, they hiked the excise duty from a manageable ₹9 to a crushing ₹33 per liter.

If the goal was to pay off ₹1.25 lakh crore, why did they end up extracting nearly ₹42 lakh crores from the public? That isn't repayment; that is extortion. They used the oil bonds as a smokescreen to build a massive tax engine, and the middle class became the fuel.

2. The Crude Oil Crash: When Greed Exposed the Plan

The real test of a government’s honesty came when global crude oil prices crashed to $30–$40 per barrel. In any rational country, this would mean immediate relief at the pump. Petrol should have cost under ₹50.

What did Modi government do? Nothing.

They froze the prices. They didn't pass on a single rupee of benefit. Why? Because they had become addicted to the revenue. When you are collecting ₹33 in tax on a product that costs ₹30 to make, you don't want to stop. They chose revenue over relief.

3. The Russian Oil Scam: ₹45,000 Crore for One Man

Then came the Ukraine war. The world shunned Russian oil. Russia offered it to India at a massive discount. What did the government do? Did they use this opportunity to calm inflation? To subsidize your LPG cylinder? No.

They allowed a single rich businessman—with the right connections—to import that cheap Russian oil. That businessman didn't sell it to you at a discount. He refined it and sold it to richer nations (Europe, US) at global market rates.

The result? He pocketed an estimated ₹45,000 crore in profit. The common Indian got nothing but inflation. So let me get this straight: My taxes pay for subsidies, but the geopolitical windfall goes to a billionaire? That is not capitalism. That is cronyism.

4. The Ethanol Poison

Just when we thought it couldn't get worse, a minister introduced "ethanol blending." We were told it was green energy. We were told it would save foreign exchange.

But here is the secret they don't want you to discuss: Ethanol is made from sugarcane. A minister's children allegedly own massive distilleries. While your mileage dropped (ethanol has lower energy density than petrol) and your engine injectors started corroding, their families made billions.

You paid more at the pump, got less mileage, damaged your vehicle, and made a politician's kid richer. This is the ultimate betrayal of the consumer.

5. The Current Crisis: Begging Instead of Governing

Now, crude prices are volatile again. A crisis is looming. And what is the government doing? Are they making excise duty zero, as they did briefly in 2022 before quietly raising it again?

No. They are begging.

They are blaming "international markets." They are appealing to you to "bear with them." They have the audacity to say, "Other countries also have high fuel prices."

Let’s dismantle that argument right now.

Yes, other countries have high prices. But in Germany, France, or Japan:

· Minimum wages are 5x to 10x higher than India.

· They have world-class public healthcare—you don't go bankrupt for a surgery.

· Their children get free, high-quality education.

· Their trains and buses run on time and are affordable.

What do we have in India?

We have crumbling roads, government hospitals without doctors, schools without teachers, and a tax system that takes from the poor to give to the rich.

Conclusion: The Bill Comes Due

For 12 years, the middle class has paid the heavy price for this government's failures. We paid when oil was high. We paid when oil was low. We paid through ethanol. We paid through taxes. We paid so that a few businessmen and political families could fly private jets.

Now, with elections looming, they are scared. They know the public may not spare them. So they are appealing, begging, and blaming the world.

My message to the middle class is simple: Stop falling for the gaslighting. Read the numbers. ₹42 lakh crores. ₹45,000 crore to one businessman. Zero relief when crude was $30.

We didn't pay for development. We paid for their loot. And it is time we demand every single rupee back.

Jai Hind. And stop the loot.

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Digvijay Mourya is an author and political commentator. His works focus on economic justice and public policy.