New Delhi, March 16 (NationPress) Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has taken aim at the government regarding the reported shortage of LPG in various regions of the country, claiming that ordinary citizens are compelled to queue for gas cylinders.

While addressing journalists outside the Parliament, Yadav remarked that those who previously aimed to position India as a “Vishwaguru” should not subject the populace to such difficulties. He specifically pointed to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, asserting that residents have no reason to expect him to acknowledge existing issues.

“Those who once strived to be Vishwaguru are now causing individuals to stand in long lines. This isn't the first instance where the general public has encountered such struggles. During the 2016 demonetization, people stood in queues. During the Covid-19 crisis, there was a shortage of oxygen, and presently, citizens are once again queuing for LPG,” he stated.

Akhilesh Yadav further noted that in places like Noida, numerous families are in distress, as mothers find it challenging to prepare meals for their children while waiting for gas cylinders. He highlighted that people are queuing from early morning and spending entire days there.

He challenged the government’s assertions of sufficient supply and accused them of mismanagement, urging party activists to capture and send images of the situation to the party headquarters.

Simultaneously, the Rajya Sabha was engulfed in chaos regarding LPG supply issues, with Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the House (LoP) J.P. Nadda clashing over the government's response to the crisis in West Asia.

This confrontation emerged during the Zero Hour, as Kharge criticized the government for its mismanagement and inadequate handling of the energy crisis, triggered by a full-scale war in the Gulf and the ensuing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Kharge held the government responsible for the severe shortage of LPG cylinders nationwide, asserting that middle-class and low-income families are disproportionately affected.

He mentioned that restaurants, hostels, and communal kitchens have been forced to shut down, and it is alarming that LPG cylinders are being sold at inflated prices.

Highlighting key statistics, he noted that 60% of the country’s LPG is imported, with 90% of that supply coming via the Strait of Hormuz—a crucial maritime passage currently closed, leading to a global oil crisis.

Kharge also pointed out the shortages of fertilizers and the troubling conditions facing fertilizer plants. He expressed that if the government had proactively planned for LPG supply, such a crisis could have been avoided.

“The wait time for LPG cylinders has stretched from 21 to 25 days, leading to hoarding and black-market activities. This situation reveals the government’s poor planning and lackadaisical attitude, raising doubts about its foreign policy,” he remarked, questioning the government's foresight.

Kharge, who also serves as Congress President, accused Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri of disseminating misleading information regarding the nation's LPG supply, stating that the actual conditions differ vastly from what the minister claimed.

Kharge’s unyielding criticism of the government over the LPG crisis elicited interventions from Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Nadda.