LPG Crisis Sparks Parliamentary Protest: A Symbolic Stride?

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien staged a protest by arriving at Parliament wearing a T-shirt with a gas cylinder print, highlighting concerns over the LPG situation. Opposition parties criticized the government's recent excise duty cuts on fuel as reactive, with the context of upcoming state elections.

On Friday, Derek O'Brien, a key leader of the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha, demonstrated against the ongoing LPG crisis by wearing a T-shirt imprinted with a gas cylinder as he entered the Parliament premises.

This symbolic gesture by O'Brien, who did not wear the T-shirt inside Parliament, was applauded by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who underscored the protest's emphasis on current LPG shortages.

The opposition has been vocal about perceived government inadequacy in handling the fuel crisis, criticizing the recent excise duty cuts as a move to gain favor ahead of elections in various states. TMC MP Sagarika Ghose described the excise cuts as a response to a brewing emergency rather than proactive policymaking.

(With inputs from agencies.)