The Congress on Sunday slammed the Modi government over the recent hike in domestic LPG prices, questioning why BJP leaders who once protested inflation during the UPA years are no longer taking to the streets with gas cylinders.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took aim at the Centre, accusing it of burdening households with rising cooking gas prices and questioning the government’s claims on fuel diversification and LPG accessibility.
His remarks came after the price of a 14.2-kg domestic LPG cylinder in Delhi was increased to Rs 942 from Rs 913.
However, beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) will continue to pay an effective Rs 642 per cylinder after a subsidy of Rs 300 per refill on the first four refills annually, lower than the nine refills announced last year.
The latest revision follows a Rs 60-per-cylinder hike on March 7, taking the cumulative increase to Rs 89 per 14.2-kg cylinder. Before the revision, state-run oil marketing companies were estimated to be incurring losses of around Rs 703 on every cylinder sold.
In a post in Hindi on X, Kharge said, "Soaring domestic LPG prices threaten to devastate the kitchens of the common people! The Modi government has hiked the price of domestic LPG cylinders by Rs.89 over the last four months."
Raising questions over the Centre’s fuel strategy and the implementation of welfare schemes, he added, "We have three questions, Modi ji had made grand claims in Parliament about diversifying fuel sources across 41 countries in response to the West Asia conflict. What became of that? Why does a shortage of LPG persist in rural areas even today? Under the Ujjwala scheme, 5.56 crore families did not get even a single refill (or got only one) during 2025-26. Of these, 3.30 crore families did not opt for a single cylinder refill. This situation predates the West Asia crisis. Is this not the result of the Modi government's profiteering?"
Stepping up the political attack, Kharge said, "Modi ji and BJP leaders used to raise a hue and cry about inflation during the UPA era. Is it not true that the Modi government has increased domestic LPG prices by Rs 530 over the last 12 years? Why aren't BJP leaders taking to the streets with LPG cylinders in protest now?"
Responding to criticism over the price increase, the government said Indian households still pay among the lowest cooking gas prices globally despite a steep rise in international LPG costs triggered by disruptions in West Asia.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the government said the cost of supplying a domestic LPG cylinder had crossed Rs 1,600 after global prices surged following the outbreak of war in West Asia at the end of February.
It noted that India’s LPG import prices are linked to the Saudi Contract Price (CP), the global benchmark for the fuel, which has risen by nearly 46 per cent since February due to supply disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite the spike, the government maintained that domestic LPG prices in India remain lower than in neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and considerably cheaper than in developed economies including the United States, Australia and Canada.
(With inputs from PTI)
