Mamata leads rally over LPG crisis, alleges ‘artificial shortage’ by Centre

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at the BJP-led Centre for the ongoing LPG crisis. Leading a protest rally in Kolkata on Monday, she alleged that the Union government has created an artificial crisis of LPG cylinders.

“An artificial crisis has been created. Servers were shut down intentionally, which is why people are standing in long queues for cooking gas,” alleged Banerjee on Monday in Kolkata.

The TMC supremo accused the Narendra Modi-led Union government of mishandling the situation and failing to ensure adequate reserves of cooking gas and petroleum products before imposing restrictions amid energy disruptions linked to the conflict in West Asia.

“We don’t need false hope, we need gas, and you must ensure that,” she said, attacking the Union government. Addressing supporters after the rally culminated at Dharmatala, Banerjee claimed she had spoken with gas companies and learned that there was no real shortage of LPG. According to her, the disruption was caused by server shutdowns that affected bookings and distribution.

The protest march, organised by the Trinamool Congress, witnessed the participation of thousands of supporters.

A large women’s brigade joined the rally, many carrying placards shaped like gas cylinders and raising slogans against the soaring price of cooking gas and the alleged irregularities in supply. The participation of women highlighted the growing concern among households over the rising cost of LPG.

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister during her speech, Banerjee referred to Modi’s earlier “chun chun kar marenge” remark. “The Prime Minister himself said ‘chun chun kar marenge’. I ask him, is this the way a Prime Minister talks?” she said. She also targeted Narendra Modi over his remarks on jobs, saying the Prime Minister should focus on reducing LPG prices instead of making political statements. Mamata Banerjee said that many people from states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar work in Bengal and added, “We have skilled manpower, that’s why they borrow our people.”

Banerjee also referred to a recent attack on the residence of state minister Shashi Panja, saying, “Yesterday it was Shashi Panja’s residence, what will be next? They said Kalighat. Is this the way they want to win the election?”

Through the rally, the Trinamool Congress sought to highlight what it described as the hardships faced by ordinary citizens due to the rising price of LPG and the reported disruption in gas supply across several areas.