Youth Congress stages protest over LPG price hike

New Delhi: Members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Friday staged a protest outside Shastri Bhawan here over the LPG price hike.

The protest was led by IYC president Srinivas BV.

The protesters demanded that the government should rollback the LPG cylinder price hike.

State-owned oil marketing companies increased the prices of non-subsidised LPG cylinders to the tune of Rs 149 per cylinder from February 12.

As a mark of protest, the IYC members also cooked food by using cow dung.

The protesters were raising slogans ‘Khali cylinder yaha hai, Smriti Irani kaha hai?’ (the empty cylinder is here, where is Smriti Irani).

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had on Thursday taken a dig at the BJP over the price hike by tweeting a UPA-era picture of the saffron party’s leaders, including Irani, protesting an increase in prices of cooking gas at the time.

IYC national president Srinivas BV, “BJP is trying to take revenge for the defeat in the Delhi assembly polls. Just because people did not vote in BJP’s favour, they are punishing them by increasing the LPG price.

“This decision is cruel and harsh against poor and also shows anti-poor mindset of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

The protesters also displayed gas stove and cylinder outside Petroleum Ministry at Shastri Bhawan.

The Youth Congress members demanded the hike be rolled back and accused the union government of “electrocuting” household budgets.

IYC national media in-charge Amrish Ranjan Pandey said that increasing Rs 149 is “unethical”.

“The current government has increased the price of LPG. This will directly affect the lower section of the society. This has to be taken back,” Pandey said