Cong protests LPG shortage with cylinder ‘funeral’ in city

Jaipur: Amid the LPG shortage, Congress workers staged protests in Jaipur Friday, taking out a symbolic funeral procession for gas cylinders to highlight the difficulties faced by residents.

Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully launched a sharp attack on the BJP govt over the deepening LPG shortage in the state, alleging that the administration became "invisible" while people struggled to secure cooking gas. Addressing the crisis, Jully said the govt failed to respond effectively as long queues and delays in LPG supply continued to affect households and small businesses. "The institution called the govt has completely become ‘invisible' in the state. The so-called double-engine govt ran out of gas midway, leaving the people of the state stranded," he said.


Led by city Congress president Sunil Sharma, party workers carried a gas cylinder on a bier and raised slogans such as, "Ram naam satya hai, cylinder bolo mast hai."

Former minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas criticised the BJP-led state govt, claiming that both gas cylinders and BJP leaders had "gone missing" from the city. To depict the hardships faced by households, protesters also cooked food on a traditional wood stove on the streets.

Khachariyawas alleged that more than 10,000 auto-rickshaws in Jaipur had stopped operating due to the crisis. He urged the govt to allocate additional funds to provide relief to auto drivers and low-income families affected by the LPG shortage.

He further alleged that the public was being "rewarded" for bringing the BJP to power, claiming that gas cylinders were first made expensive and now people were being asked to depend on kerosene, which was also unavailable. He also criticised rising airline fares and demanded that the govt reduce taxes.

Public anger has been growing across the state over the shortage of LPG cylinders and rising prices, with long queues reported outside gas agencies in several districts, including Jaipur. The Congress organised similar protests at district headquarters across Rajasthan Friday.

In Jaipur's Chandpole area, party workers raised slogans against the govt, took out the symbolic procession and later burned effigies of the central and state govts.

Sunil Sharma said, "The govt has completely failed to address the LPG crisis. People are unable to even book cylinders as booking numbers remain constantly busy."

MLAs Rafeek Khan and Amin Kagzi also joined the protest, alleging black marketing of cylinders.