New Delhi: The price of a domestic 14.2-kg LPG cylinder was raised by Rs 29 to Rs 942 in Delhi on June 7, setting off a political row, with Opposition parties accusing the Modi government of adding to the burden on households already squeezed by inflation. The Centre, on the other hand, defended the increase by pointing to a sharp rise in global cooking-gas costs.
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Opposition parties hit out at the government on June 7, arguing that repeated fuel price increases were deepening the strain on ordinary families. The Centre countered that Indian consumers still pay among the lowest LPG rates in the world, despite a steep climb in international prices driven by disruptions in West Asia.
The cylinder's price in Delhi rose to Rs 942 from Rs 913. Beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) will pay an effective Rs 642 per cylinder after a subsidy of Rs 300 per refill — but the subsidy now applies to the first four refills a year, down from the nine refills announced last year.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made "grand claims" in Parliament about diversifying fuel sources across 41 countries in response to the West Asia conflict, and asked what had become of that. In a post in Hindi on X, he wrote: "Soaring domestic LPG prices threaten to devastate the kitchens of the common people! The Modi government has hiked the price of domestic LPG cylinders by Rs 89 over the last four months."
He added, "Modi ji and BJP leaders used to raise a hue and cry about inflation during the UPA era. Is it not true that the Modi government has increased domestic LPG prices by Rs 530 over the last 12 years? Why aren't BJP leaders taking to the streets with LPG cylinders in protest now?"
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar warned that the government would pay a "political price" for repeatedly raising the cost of essentials. "The hike may have started with just two rupees, but over time the increases have kept piling up, and today we can see how far the prices have risen. All of this has a direct impact on the finances and daily lives of ordinary people," the former Union Minister said. He said Modi had initially promised to keep inflation in check, but the Centre's idea of "control" now appeared to be delivering price shocks in stages. "Those responsible will have to pay a political price," he said in response to media queries.
Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Pinarayi Vijayan said the hike would push households already reeling under rising living costs further, and the CPI(M) veteran demanded in a statement that the Centre immediately withdraw the "anti-people" decision.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said, "Now it will be shown to us how our LPG, petrol, diesel is cheaper than other countries, but they will not show the per capita income in those countries compared to ours."
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that the BJP-led government was using international developments, including the "USA-Israel and Iran war," as an "excuse" to impose additional financial burdens on citizens. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the steady rise in fuel and essential commodity prices was making life difficult nationwide. "The common citizen is being hit by inflation from every direction. Prices of diesel, LPG, CNG and other essential commodities continue to rise, making everyday life more expensive for millions of families," he said in a statement.
PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss demanded an immediate rollback. "The government and oil companies should absorb part of the increase in international market prices for a few months and immediately roll back the burden placed on the public," he said.
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi attributed the rise partly to what he called the "weak leadership of the BJP government because they do not focus on the financial state of affairs in our country."
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said those criticising the Centre should grasp the gravity of the worldwide crisis. "We also feel very sad and sorry about the hike in gas cylinder prices, but before criticising, everyone should understand the situation in the entire world. The world is reeling under very serious crises," Joshi told reporters in Dharwad, Karnataka. "LPG is available from a very limited number of sources," said the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and New and Renewable Energy.
The BJP said the Opposition cries foul over every small revision in LPG prices while ignoring that Indian households continue to get cooking gas at among the lowest prices in the world. "The reality is simple. Global LPG prices have surged by nearly 46 percent since February because of disruptions in West Asia and the Strait of Hormuz. India imports a large share of its LPG, yet the Government has shielded consumers from the full impact of these increases," BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said.
In a statement, the government said the cost of supplying a domestic LPG cylinder had risen to more than Rs 1,600 after international prices surged following the outbreak of war in West Asia at the end of February. Even so, domestic prices remained below those in neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and significantly lower than in advanced economies, including the United States, Australia and Canada, it said.
The government also said India was among the few countries able to keep energy shipments moving uninterrupted through the Strait of Hormuz during the crisis, ensuring no shortage of LPG or other petroleum products. Domestic LPG production was raised and supplies diversified through alternative sourcing arrangements to safeguard availability, it added.
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"The prices of petroleum products in India are linked to the corresponding prices in the international market. The government, however, continues to modulate the effective price to the consumer for domestic LPG. Any household can buy as many cylinders as it needs at Rs 942," the statement said.
