New Delhi: Opposition parties strongly criticized the central government on Sunday after domestic LPG cylinder rates rose by Rs 29, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration of worsening the financial strain on households already coping with inflation.
The move follows a larger Rs 60 increase announced in March, which was attributed to surging global energy costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
The Centre responded by noting that, even after global LPG prices jumped due to disruptions in West Asia, Indian households continue to pay among the lowest rates for cooking gas. The government issued that clarification a day after enacting the Rs 29 increase.
Opposition parties, however, dismissed that defense and warned the increase will further squeeze household budgets. They questioned the timing and justification for another increment so soon after the March revision.
The Congress renewed its “Inflation Man Modi” attack, accusing the government of protecting the wealthy while passing costs onto ordinary people. In a post on X, the party wrote, “‘Inflation Man Modi’ has cracked the whip again. Now the domestic gas cylinder has been made 29 rupees more expensive. Modi’s formula is clear—extort from the public, fill the coffers of rich friends.”
The party demanded accountability for recurrent price rises that it said erode household purchasing power.
Congress MP Manish Tewari highlighted the contrast between rising consumer costs and record profits at state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs). “WHY THE REPEATED LPG PRICE HIKE’S WHEN OIL MARKETING COMPANIES ARE MAKING WHOPPING PROFITS?” Tewari wrote on X, noting that the three OMCs registered a cumulative profit of Rs 77,280.65 crore in FY 2025–26 — a 130% increase over FY 2024–25.
Tewari pointed out that the three oil companies made Rs 19,470 crore in profit in the fourth quarter of FY 2025–26, which is about 40% higher than the same quarter last year. “While the OMC’s are making hay, people are being crushed under a repressive pricing regime. Is this governance?” he asked.
West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress raised similar worries, saying regular households are taking the hit from global price swings while the wealthy stay shielded.
In a post on X, the party said: “Rs 29 more for a domestic LPG cylinder. This is the BJP model: when global crises emerge, the poor keep worrying while the rich keep thriving. A government that boasts of being a ‘Vishwaguru’ cannot shield its own citizens from repeated price shocks. Instead of planning ahead and protecting households, Narendra Modi’s government keeps passing the burden onto ordinary families. For the rich, it’s a minor inconvenience. For millions of families, it’s another blow to already stretched household budgets.”
The Aam Aadmi Party also criticized the hike, saying it will make financial stress on families even worse.
In a post on X, the AAP said: “LPG cylinder prices have risen again. For the second time within three months, the domestic gas cylinder has been made more expensive. This time, after an increase of Rs 29, the 14.2 kg cylinder has become Rs 942. Inflation has already broken the public’s back, and now the Modi government is also kicking them in the stomach.”
