Senior Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday sharpened his attack on the Centre over the steep hike in commercial LPG cylinder prices, alleging that the increase was a direct fallout of the recently concluded elections. In a post on X, Gandhi said the surge in prices had validated his earlier warning about rising inflation.
The Centre has, late Thursday evening, raised the price of commercial LPG cylinders by Rs 993 across India, amid rising global energy pressures and continued volatility in international fuel markets.
The 19-kg commercial cylinder, widely used by hotels, restaurants, food stalls, and other businesses, has become significantly costlier following the latest revision. “I had said it earlier — after the elections, the heat of inflation would hit,” he said, adding that the latest hike of Rs 993 in commercial gas cylinders marked “the biggest single-day increase” and amounted to an “election bill” being passed on to citizens.
Highlighting the cumulative impact, Gandhi noted that prices had risen sharply over a short span. “Since February: an increase of Rs 1,380 — an 81% jump in just three months,” he said, underscoring the pace of the increase. The Congress leader pointed out that the hike would have far-reaching consequences, particularly for small businesses and daily consumers.
“Tea sellers, dhabas, hotels, bakeries, halwais — every kitchen is under greater burden. And its impact will be felt on your plate too,” he said, suggesting that the rising input costs would translate into higher food prices for the public.
Gandhi also warned that the price hike could be part of a broader trend. “First the blow on gas, next will be on petrol and diesel,” he said, cautioning that fuel price pressures could intensify in the coming days.
The remarks come amid heightened political sparring between the opposition and the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi over inflation and cost-of-living concerns. The Centre was yet to respond to Gandhi’s latest criticism, while it has previously maintained that global energy market volatility has a significant bearing on domestic fuel prices.
