NEW DELHI, March 16: The BJP on Monday accused the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) of spreading “lies” over the availability of domestic LPG cylinders, alleging that the opposition is attempting to trigger panic for “political and commercial” gains.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said for Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, LPG stands for “lies, panic and goalpost change”.
“This is their old habit. During COVID-19, Akhileshji had lied that it was the BJP’s vaccine. Even then, they had tried to create chaos. ‘Panic to profit’ has been their old model. They first spread misinformation about a crude-oil shortage and when that narrative collapsed, they shifted to LPG,” Poonawalla told reporters.
Accusing the opposition of attempting to engineer a crisis, he alleged that their design is to facilitate black marketing of gas cylinders.
“This is their old model — create panic on television and profit on the ground…. That is why Congress and SP members have been caught with cylinders. Who are these people caught with 50 to 100 cylinders? All of them are linked to the Congress and the SP. First create artificial panic and then engage in black marketing. Finding commercial and political opportunities in a crisis has become a habit of the Congress ecosystem,” the BJP leader said.
He said the government has not only diversified crude-oil sources, but has also moved towards domestic alternatives. He noted that for the last four-five years, petrol and diesel prices have not gone up, even though they have risen across the world.
Poonawalla asserted that there is no shortage of LPG, piped natural gas or compressed natural gas used for transport and that domestic consumers are being prioritised over commercial and industrial usage in supply allocation.
“Domestic LPG cylinders used to be delivered in about two-and-a-half days earlier and it continues to be the same. The 25,000 dealers across the country have not faced any stock-out anywhere. There is no shortage in the supply of domestic cylinders. The supply of piped gas and CNG used for transport is 100 per cent. The issue is only in commercial and industrial use, where according to prioritisation, 70 to 80 per cent preference is being given to domestic consumers,” he said.
Another BJP spokesperson, Prem Shukla, too claimed that there is no crisis with regard to domestic LPG cylinders, though he said some prioritisation has been done for commercial supply.
Alleging attempts to spread misinformation, Shukla claimed that some Congress leaders in Maharashtra and Karnataka were caught hoarding LPG cylinders and indulging in profiteering. He also alleged that members of the SP were caught in similar acts.
“The opposition, led by the Congress, wants to spread chaos in the country through misinformation. There is no shortage of LPG in the country,” he said. (PTI)
