LPG price hikes: Government will pay ‘political price’, says Sharad Pawar; Congress’s Wadettiwar slams BJP

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday, June 7, 2026, criticized the Center for rising prices, claiming that the government will pay a “political price” as frequent increases in essential goods create a burden on the common man.

The former Union Minister claimed that people across the country are facing hardships due to inflation and questioned the government’s stance that price rise is under control.

“The hike may have started with just two rupees, but over time the increases kept accumulating and today we can see how much the prices have increased. All of this has a direct impact on the finances and daily lives of the common people,” Mr. Pawar said.

A senior NCP (SP) official said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had initially claimed that his government would keep inflation under control.

However, it now appears that their (Centre’s) idea of ​​”control’ is to deliver these price shocks step by step, he added. “Those responsible will have to pay a political price,” he said in response to media queries on the LPG price hike.

Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar accused the BJP of abandoning its earlier stand on price hike and said the ruling party was no longer paying the same attention to issues affecting common people as it did when it was in opposition.

Mr. Wadettiwar, in his statement, said that BJP leaders staged protests against every increase in cooking gas prices during the UPA regime, but after coming to power, they remained silent despite repeated increases in fuel and LPG prices.

“Commercial LPG cylinder prices have increased sharply in the last few months, and petrol, diesel and CNG prices have also witnessed multiple revisions in recent years. Inflation was severely affecting household budgets and placing an additional burden on middle-class and economically weak families,” the Congress leader said.

Domestic cooking gas LPG price increased by ₹29 per cylinder; This marks the second increase in three months as state-owned fuel retailers continue to grapple with rising global energy costs.

This increase follows an increase of ₹60 per cylinder on March 7 after conflict in West Asia disrupted global energy supplies and increased international fuel prices.

Meanwhile, the Union Government said on Sunday (June 7) that Indian households continue to pay among the lowest prices for cooking gas globally despite a sharp rise in international PG prices triggered by disruptions caused by the West Asian crisis that started on February 28 following the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran.

The cost of supplying domestic LPG cylinders has risen to over ₹1,600 due to the rise in international prices following the outbreak of war in West Asia, the government said in a statement.

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