New Delhi

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Friday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assessment regarding LPG availability in the country amid speculation that supplies may be affected by the ongoing crisis in West Asia.

Chidambaram said if the Prime Minister believes the panic is unwarranted, the government must ensure adequate supply on the ground so that both the private and domestic sectors do not face shortages.

“If the Prime Minister believes that the panic is unwarranted, he must ensure that there is a sufficient supply on the ground so that both the private and domestic sectors do not feel any pinch,” he said.

Echoing similar concerns, Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) said the ruling party should acknowledge the difficulties being faced by hotel owners and the general public.

She criticised the government for shifting blame to the opposition, saying, “Blaming the opposition for this situation is equivalent to running away from responsibility.”

The remarks came as Congress workers staged protests outside the headquarters of the Indian National Congress in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over reports of an LPG cylinder shortage.

During the demonstration, party workers set up a makeshift chulha (traditional stove) to prepare tea, symbolising the hardships faced by households due to the reported shortage of cooking gas.

Protesters accused the central government of failing to ensure adequate supply and misleading the public about the situation. Some Congress leaders claimed that people were standing in long queues to obtain LPG cylinders and that institutions such as the canteen at the Delhi High Court had reportedly been affected.

Congress MP Jebi Mather said merely denying the existence of a shortage would not resolve the problem.

“Just by saying there’s no scarcity, how will it be just not scarcity?... Union Minister Mr Puri is trying to portray that nothing is wrong here. We have to acknowledge there is a crisis and then find ways to address it,” she said.

As the protest intensified in the national capital, personnel from the Delhi Police intervened and detained several workers participating in the demonstration.

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Commenting separately on the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Chidambaram said India currently has limited options to influence the situation or evacuate citizens because the region’s airspace is filled with drones and missiles.