Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Sep 5: BJP MLA Aravind Bellad has blamed the Taliban crisis in Afghanistan for the rising prices of fuel and essential commodities in India.

As per a report by NDTV, Bellad said that the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan has resulted in a decline in supply of crude oil.

"Because of the Taliban crisis in Afghanistan, there has been a dip in supply of crude oil. Consequently, prices of LPG, petrol and diesel are rising. Voters are mature enough to understand the reasons for price rise," Bellad was quoted as saying.

Bellad is the MLA of Hubballi-Dharwad west constituency.

India has been witnessing a relentless upward trend in the fuel and gas prices since May this year.

Though India is the world's third-biggest importer and consumer of crude oil, Afghanistan is not among its major sellers. The top exporters of crude oil to India are Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria, the United States and Canada, according to a Reuters report.

The Taliban took comprehensive control over Afghanistan on August 15 when its militants drove out the Afghan government in capital Kabul.

Though experts opine that the crisis in Afghanistan will an affect oil and gas prices, the impact is yet unclear, with the major oil-producing nations still uncertain in their dealings with the Taliban.

The coronavirus pandemic too has hit the global production of crude oil, with refiners cutting down processing. India hit an eight-month low in crude oil imports in June, Reuters reported.

The fuel price hike has become a contentious issue with the ruling Modi-led BJP government and the opposition trading charges. There has been a public outcry in some quarters against the government.