As fuel prices touched a five-year high, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday asked the government why prices of petrol and diesel were higher than in May, 2014 when the international oil prices were higher than they are now.

In a series of tweets, he said the government was clueless and floundering on the issue.

"Crude oil price at US $ 74 per barrel is still lower than US $ 105 four years ago. So, why are Petrol/Diesel prices higher today than they were in May 2014? For the last four years, the BJP government has lived off an oil bonanza. Minus the oil bonanza, the BJP government is clueless and floundering," he said in his tweets

He also said "BJP boasts that it is ruling 22 States. Then, why does the BJP government refuse to bring petroleum and petroleum products under GST? Even a school child knows the answer. It is because of the 'Tax the Consumer' policy of the BJP government."