NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing LPG crisis in India triggered by the West Asia conflict, Congress MP Mohammad Jawed pointed to what he described as a stark gap between the government’s claims and the situation on the ground.He alleged that the shortage had become so severe that MPs even struggled to get tea in Parliament, and claimed that black-marketing had pushed cylinder prices up to between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000.“There is no doubt that there is a shortage. I am observing the Roza (fasting), but yesterday the subject of discussion in Parliament was that when MPs asked for tea or coffee in the Parliament canteen, they were informed that it was unavailable. And yet, you claim that there is no cause for panic. There are reports of black-marketing, with prices as high as Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 being demanded,” Jawed told while questioning the government’s handling of the situation.Meanwhile, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman criticised the opposition for raising slogans and staging protests in the Lok Sabha over issues related to LPG supply, saying they were taking an irresponsible stand instead of standing with the government in the national interest.Replying to the debate on the second batch of supplementary demands for grants for 2025–26, Sitharaman said it was ironic that while she was outlining how the government was preparing to deal with unexpected challenges — including supply chain disruptions and LPG-related issues arising from the situation in West Asia — the opposition was unwilling to listen to the government’s response.She also accused the opposition of pursuing its own political agenda and adopting what she described as irresponsible positions on the West Asia crisis.“Instead, they prefer to pursue their own agenda. I would like to make it clear that because of developments taking place abroad, several challenges are emerging for our country. The question before us is how we should face these challenges, how we should arrange the necessary funds to deal with them, and how we should remain prepared. When the Government is taking many such steps to ensure preparedness, it is unfortunate that the Opposition, instead of standing together in the interest of the nation and giving confidence to the people, is taking irresponsible positions. Such conduct should be condemned,” she said.“Are the Opposition members suggesting that in times of unforeseen challenges, should the government not create a fiscal buffer or equalisation fund of Rs 50,000 crores? It is an irony that even when I am talking about how the government is preparing to face any unexpected events, inclusive of supply chain disruptions and LPG, they (Opposition) are not willing to hear the reply. They want to have their own agenda. Sit on the stairs and have chai and talk about LPG. This is our Opposition,” she added.Earlier, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas assured that India has adequate availability of petrol and diesel across the country, while the LPG situation continues to remain a “matter of concern” for the government.The current round of conflict in West Asia began on February 28 and has seen hostilities between Israel and the United States on one side and Iran on the other.The situation escalated after the assassination of Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes carried out by the US and Israel. In retaliation, Iran targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries as well as in Israel, disrupting key waterways and impacting international energy markets and global economic stability.(With agency inputs)
