'Cylinders don't get expensive, roti-thali does': Opposition slams Modi govt over commercial LPG price hike

New Delhi: Opposition on Friday pounded on the Modi government over the hike in commercial and 5kg ‘chhotu’ LPG cylinders with top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi calling it an "election bill" and warning that the next strike will be on petrol and diesel.

Rahul said he had remarked earlier that the heat of inflation would come after the Assembly elections, as he referred to the increase of Rs 993 per 19 kg commercial cylinders used in hotels and restaurants to a record high of Rs 3,071.50. The rates for 5-kg FTL cylinders or 'Chhotu cylinders', that caters to migrant population among others, has been increased from Rs 549 to Rs 810.50.

"Today, a commercial gas cylinder is Rs 993 more expensive. The biggest increase in a single day. This is the election bill. From February till now: Rs 1,380 increase -- a whopping 81 per cent jump in just 3 months. Tea stalls, dhaba, hotels, bakeries, sweet shops - the burden on everyone's kitchen has increased. And this will affect your plate too. First strike on gas, next strike on petrol-diesel," Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on 'X'.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the hike is due to a failure of the union government's assurances on inflation and price stability while recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statements that prices would not be increased and inflation will be controlled. "Today, I am seeing reality. It seems he is unable to do what he said," Kharge said in Karnataka's Kalaburgi.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the hike in cylinder prices would make food expensive for the common people. "Cylinders don't get expensive; the roti-thali does. This is known only by the one who buys and eats it themselves, not by the one who goes and eats at others' places or steals from others' plates," Yadav said.

"If they had to make the cylinder expensive, they should have just made it Rs 1,000 expensive outright. Who are these BJP folks doing a favour by not hiking the price by Rs 1,000 but just Rs 7 short of it?" Yadav said, taking a swipe at the ruling BJP.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao called it "May Day gift by Prime Minister Narendra Modi" to workers.

In a statement, the CPI "strongly condemned the unprecedented" hike in commercial LPG prices and said, continuous increases in fuel prices reflects the government’s "failure" to safeguard India’s interests in a challenging global situation.

"Instead of ensuring stability in fuel prices, the burden is being shifted onto ordinary people. Eateries, dhabas, hostels, PG accommodations and small businesses across the country will feel the impact immediately, leading to higher food prices and rising living costs," it said.

"Coming just a day after voting, this confirms what the CPI had warned: that LPG and other fuel prices would be increased once elections were over, because the government is focused solely on electoral gains rather than people’s livelihoods. Once the votes are cast, the burden is pushed onto the common people in an unprecedented manner. This is deeply unjust," it said.

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said, "just as the election cycle concluded, the Modi government wasted no time to increase prices of LPG cylinders...In the three months since the Iran war began, the government should have prepared a solid plan to shield ordinary Indians from the price shocks, instead of passing on the financial burden."