New Delhi

Sanjay Raut, MP from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for holding election rallies in southern states while, he alleged, the country was facing a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Raut demanded a discussion on the impact of the West Asia conflict on India’s energy security and fuel supply.

“Where is our Prime Minister? He is carrying out election campaigns in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. And the words he is using against his opponents do not suit the stature of the Prime Ministerial position,” Raut said.

He alleged that the Centre was not adequately addressing the impact of the Iran–Israel conflict on India’s energy supply chain.

“You are not discussing the impact of the Iran-Israel conflict. You are not talking about the LPG shortage, petrol and diesel shortage. This situation is creating fear among people. Hotels and restaurants are shutting down. The Modi government has not said anything on this. It is unfortunate that the nation is in the hands of such leadership,” he added.

Raut’s remarks came as Modi addressed public meetings in Kerala and Tamil Nadu ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in the two states.

At a rally in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, Modi said the ongoing crisis in West Asia had disrupted the global energy supply chain but urged people not to panic.

“Today, I would like to speak to the people of Tamil Nadu about the conflict in West Asia. It has affected the whole world’s energy supply chain. We believe in the ideology of India First,” the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, the Centre has invoked the Essential Commodities Act amid reports of a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, prioritising supplies for domestic consumers.

According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, domestic LPG production has increased by about 25 per cent, and the entire output is currently being directed toward household consumption.

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The Ministry of Home Affairs has also strengthened a control room that is now operating round the clock to monitor the situation and coordinate response measures.