NEW DELHI: Congress workers on Friday staged a protest outside the Indian National Congress headquarters in Delhi, alleging a shortage of LPG cylinders and demanding the resignation of Union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri, according to ANI.The protesters accused the Centre of failing to ensure adequate supply of cooking gas and of misleading the public about the situation. As part of the demonstration, party workers set up a makeshift chulha (traditional stove) and prepared tea, raising slogans against the government and highlighting the difficulties faced by households due to the reported shortage.
Protesters claimed that many families across the country were struggling to obtain LPG cylinders and had been forced to revert to traditional cooking methods.A Congress leader alleged that the crisis was the result of flawed policies of the central government. “The cylinder has disappeared from the kitchen of every household. Due to the wrong policies of the country’s Prime Minister, somehow we have been forced into this gas shortage. Today in the country, people are standing in line for gas cylinders, and some are even fainting there,” the leader said.The leader further claimed that the situation had affected several establishments, including public canteens. “The condition of the people is such that today even the canteen of the Delhi High Court is closed due to the shortage of gas, but in Parliament they claim there is no shortage,” he said.Drawing parallels with earlier crises, the Congress leader added, “Just as people were made to stand in queues during demonetisation and oxygen shortages during the COVID-19 period, today the whole country is standing in line for gas cylinders.”As the protest intensified, personnel from Delhi Police intervened and detained several workers participating in the demonstration.Meanwhile, Congress MP Mohammad Jawed also questioned the government’s claims on LPG availability, asking why prices had increased if there was no supply problem. “Be it demonetisation, lockdown, why have the rates (of LPG) been increased, if there is no problem? Why are people not getting LPG?” he said.Congress MP Manoj Kumar also criticised the government over the issue. “Who is responsible for the increase in the price of LPG, the opposition or the government?… The nation is watching, and you cannot mislead them,” he said.
