On Wednesday, Congress MPs demonstrated in the Parliament complex to protest against the alleged shortage of commercial LPG cylinders across the country. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also participated in this demonstration. Opposition MPs held banners reading “The Prime Minister has compromised”.
India coalition-party leaders have sought to discuss the alleged shortage of LPG amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia. This morning, Congress MP Sukhdev Bhagat accused the Center of “running away from its responsibilities” while demanding a detailed discussion on the situation in West Asia.
Sukhdev Bhagat told ANI, “Prime Minister Modi had said in 2022 that we will reduce imports, but instead we are becoming dependent on other countries. There should be a detailed discussion in Parliament on our immediate steps. The impact of the war has started to be seen. This government is running away from its responsibilities.”
LPG shortage has arisen due to disruption in global energy supplies due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
In response, the central government has invoked the Essential Commodities Act to prioritize domestic LPG supply, reserving more allocation for households, hospitals and essential services, while restricting commercial distribution in many areas.
The government has mandated a new booking period of 25 days for domestic LPG refills.
Congress MP Pramod Tiwari also hit out at the central government, saying, “The government failed to anticipate the potential threats arising from the West Asia conflict.”
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP V. Sivadasan alleged that the party will raise the issue in Parliament.
“Many hotels have been closed and many families are suffering due to the shortage. The central government is not ready to address this problem properly. We will raise this issue in Parliament and our party will also raise this issue outside Parliament and run a nationwide campaign against the price rise,” the CPI(M) MP told ANI.
Communist Party of India (CPI) MP P. Sandosh Kumar on Wednesday submitted an adjournment notice in the Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue.
Congress MP Manish Tewari said that invoking the Essential Commodities Act was an excessive step and there was a need for a full discussion in the House on this crisis.
He said, “Interestingly, after reaching $120 per barrel yesterday, the price of crude oil has come down to $90 per barrel. Therefore, there has been no significant increase in the price of crude oil and the crude oil or petroleum products that are being available today must have been contracted for at least 45 to 60 days ago, when the prices were much lower. Hence this surcharge imposed by the airlines and the rationing started by the government by implementing ESMA. This is too much, it is a panic reaction, that is why we are saying that it should be discussed in detail in the House.
Congress MP Jyotihamani particularly raised the problems faced by people in Tamil Nadu and claimed that people were not getting the domestic gas supply for which they had made bookings.
He said, “People are now complaining that they have not received pre-booked domestic supplies. Almost all hotels in Tamil Nadu and even small shops and tea stalls are closing. The Prime Minister is coming to Tamil Nadu today, elections are the priority for the Central government. No planning was done despite knowing that there is a war going on in West Asia. We did not even bother to condole Khamenei’s death for several days. Now Iran is allowing only Chinese ships to come. Prime Minister Modi has no plan to deal with this situation.”
Addressing both houses of Parliament on Tuesday, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said that although any development that has a negative impact on peace and security in the world is extremely worrying, this ongoing conflict is a matter of special concern for India.
The minister said, “We are a neighboring region and naturally have a keen interest in the stability and peace of West Asia. About one crore Indian citizens live and work in the Gulf countries. A few thousand Indians are also present in Iran for study and employment. The region is important for our energy security and includes many important suppliers of oil and gas.”
Referring to energy security, Jaishankar said that the interests of the Indian consumer have been and will always remain the topmost priority.
“When needed, Indian diplomacy has supported the efforts of our energy companies in this volatile situation,” he said.
He said India stands for peace and urges a return to dialogue and diplomacy and advocates reducing tensions, exercising restraint and ensuring the safety of civilians. He said the welfare and safety of the Indian community in the region is the government’s top priority.
