Congress MPs Protest LPG Shortage Amid West Asia Conflict

Congress MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, demonstrated against the alleged country-wide commercial LPG cylinder shortage in Parliament. The protestors criticized the government’s handling of the situation exacerbated by the ongoing West Asia conflict, with calls for discussions in Parliament and a nationwide campaign against the price hike.

On Wednesday, Congress MPs staged a protest within the Parliament precincts over an alleged nationwide shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, a crisis aggravated by the conflict in West Asia. Joining the protest, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her colleagues carried banners claiming, "PM is compromised," as they called for a parliamentary debate on the issue.

Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat earlier demanded a detailed discussion about the West Asia situation, accusing the central government of shirking responsibility. He recalled Prime Minister Modi's 2022 pledge to reduce imports but argued that reliance on foreign resources has increased. "The impact of the war is becoming evident, and the government is avoiding accountability," Bhagat informed ANI.

The Union government, reacting to global energy supply disruptions, has invoked the Essential Commodities Act to secure domestic LPG supplies by prioritizing households and essential services while limiting commercial distribution. They've implemented a new 25-day inter-booking window for domestic refills.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari criticized the government's foresight concerning West Asia conflict repercussions, while CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP V Sivadasan pledged to raise the matter in parliamentary sessions. V Sivadasan highlighted how the shortage affected businesses and families and announced a forthcoming nationwide campaign to address price hikes, echoed by Communist Party of India MP P Sandosh Kumar, who submitted a suspension notice for discussion in the Rajya Sabha.

(With inputs from agencies.)