New Delhi: With Rakshabandhan on the horizon, the Central Government has announced a reduction of Rs 200 in the prices of domestic cooking gas cylinders. This decision was made public after a cabinet meeting, disclosed by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, who portrayed it as a gesture directly from the Prime Minister. However, the opposition reacted promptly, dismissing the move as a mere “election gimmick.”
Supriya Sule, a Member of Parliament and the Working President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), raised doubts about the genuineness of the decision. She questioned the significance of a Rs 200 reduction, drawing a comparison with prices during her party’s tenure. She stated, “When our government was in power, the prices were Rs 400 per cylinder… Today, it is Rs 1150… They should have brought down the prices by Rs 500 or Rs 700. This is all pre-election rhetoric,” in an interview with the news agency ANI.
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Sule went further, labeling the current government as one that makes empty promises and attributing the BJP’s loss in the Karnataka elections to inflation and unemployment. She remarked, “They turned a blind eye to inflation for over four and a half years… The people of Karnataka rejected them due to inflation and unemployment. That’s why the central government is feeling apprehensive.”
Meanwhile, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, Tejashwi Yadav, who was seen alongside his father, former Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav, in Mumbai ahead of the I.N.D.I.A. Opposition Alliance meeting, also commented on the government’s decision.
Yadav suggested that the government’s move was a reaction to pressure following the second I.N.D.I.A. alliance meeting, resulting in the BJP’s decision to lower prices by Rs 200. He stated, “This is a reaction to the pressure… Once everything is settled, the alliance’s strength will be evident.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee echoed similar sentiments, strongly criticizing the government’s decision. She took to X, previously known as Twitter, and posted, “Up until now, only TWO meetings have occurred in the past TWO months within the I.N.D.I.A. alliance, and today, we see LPG prices reduced by Rs. 200. ये है #INDIA का दम! (This is the strength of I.N.D.I.A.)”
“In light of Rakshabandhan and Onam, the government has chosen to decrease the price of domestic cylinders by Rs 200. This is being presented as a gift from PM Narendra Modi to the women of the country,” Thakur announced during the press conference. The Opposition criticized the government’s move, openly labeling it a ‘jumla’ (false promise).
