BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Union government over the Rs 111 hike in commercial LPG cylinder prices, calling it a direct assault on the livelihoods of the common man and small businesses.
In a strongly worded post on X, the CM said tea stalls, small eateries, bakeries and street vendors depend heavily on commercial LPG, and any price increase inevitably pushes up food costs and fuels inflation across households. “When LPG prices rise, livelihoods suffer and inflation quietly enters every home,” he said.
Questioning the Union government’s justification that the hike was due to rising Saudi Contract Prices, Siddaramaiah asked why the same logic applied to petrol and diesel, whose prices have remained unchanged despite a sustained fall in global crude oil prices, was not applied here.
The CM alleged that despite crude softening globally, fuel prices continue to burden citizens while generating record revenues for the Centre. Calling this a case of selective use of international pricing, the CM also flagged what he termed a growing fiscal imbalance between the Centre and states.