Kharge reminds BJP Leaders of their LPG Price Hike protests

New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Modi government over the rise in domestic LPG prices and asked why the BJP leaders, while shouting about inflation during the UPA era, are not now taking to the streets with cylinders in protest. Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made “big claims” in Parliament about diversifying fuel sources across 41 countries in response to the West Asian conflict and asked what happened to it.

He asked why LPG shortage continues in rural areas even today.

The Congress chief’s remarks came after the price of a 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder was increased from Rs 913 to Rs 942 in Delhi; Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries will continue to pay an effective Rs 642 per cylinder after receiving a subsidy of Rs 300 per annual refill, instead of the 9 refills announced last year.

The increase follows an increase of Rs 60 per cylinder on March 7, taking the cumulative increase to Rs 89 per cylinder of 14.2 kg. State-run oil marketing companies were estimated to lose around Rs 703 crore on every LPG cylinder sold before the latest revision.

In a post published in Hindi on

“We have three questions: Modi ji had made big claims in Parliament about diversification of fuel sources across 41 countries in response to the West Asia conflict. So what happened to that? Why does LPG shortage continue in rural areas even today? As per the Ujjwala scheme, 5.56 crore families did not get even a single refill (or got just one) in 2025-26. Of these, 3.30 crore families did not opt for a single cylinder refill. This predates the West Asia crisis. This predates the West Asia crisis with the Modi government Isn’t it the result of profiteering? Kharge said.

“Modi ji and BJP leaders were raising their voices and shouting about inflation during the UPA period. Is it not true that the Modi government has increased the domestic LPG prices by Rs 530 in the last 12 years? Why are the BJP leaders not taking to the streets with LPG cylinders to protest now?” he said.

Indian households continue to pay among the lowest prices for cooking gas globally despite a sharp rise in international PG prices triggered by disruptions in West Asia, the government said on Sunday.

The government said in a statement that the cost of domestic supply of LPG cylinders had risen to over Rs 1,600 following the rise in international prices following the outbreak of war in West Asia at the end of February.

India’s LPG import costs are based on the Saudi Contract Price (CP), the fuel’s global benchmark. The indicator has risen nearly 46 percent since February after disruptions linked to the Strait of Hormuz tightened supply from the Gulf region, according to the statement.