The ongoing West Asia conflict’s ripple effect on India’s cooking gas supply sparked a fiery clash in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge questioning the government’s failure to arrange alternatives to prevent supply disruptions while Leader of the House JP Nadda accused the Opposition leader of “inciting” people.
Speaking during Zero Hour, Kharge said the poor, middle class, small eateries and restaurants are facing hardships as cooking gas is not readily available. “India imports nearly 60% of its LPG requirement, and about 90% of that passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making the country vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions…” the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said, and questioned the government on why arrangements were not made to ensure that the disruption of services through critical maritime route would not spill into a crisis in India and highlighted the lack of a “coordinated response and alternative arrangements.”
“The government had issued an advisory to Indian citizens… the government knew that the energy supply would be affected,” he said.
Kharge said the crisis has set the prices of LPG cylinders soaring. “It is a matter of concern that several establishments have shut down operations and some are resorting to buying cylinders at rates exceeding ₹5,000 per cylinder,” he said.
Responding to the allegations, Nadda said it was unfortunate that the Opposition was trying to bring anarchy in the country and politicising the issue.“They are inciting the people of the country…This crisis is not because of India; it is an international situation. Hardeep Puri [petroleum minister] made a detailed statement in the House, but they did not want to listen to that. A Congress leader has been caught hoarding cylinders,” the senior BJP leader added.
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