Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday sharply criticised the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the reported shortage of LPG cylinders, taking a sarcastic swipe at the government and claiming that people across the country are once again being forced to stand in long queues.
Raut remarked that a slogan circulating in the national capital sums up the situation: “Narendra is missing, the cylinders are also missing.” He said the phrase reflects public frustration amid the growing difficulties in accessing cooking gas.
According to Raut, the ongoing tensions and conflict in the Gulf region have had ripple effects on global supply chains, which are now impacting everyday life in India. He said the situation has created challenges both for farmers and urban households.
On one hand, he claimed that export disruptions have left agricultural produce stuck within the country, leading to financial losses for farmers as crops remain unsold and begin to rot. On the other hand, he alleged that shortages of gas cylinders are forcing people to wait for hours outside distribution centres.
The Shiv Sena leader said the issue is affecting businesses as well. Many hotel and restaurant owners, he claimed, are being forced to revert to traditional cooking methods due to the lack of LPG cylinders, while some small establishments are reportedly on the verge of shutting down temporarily.
Raut added that the crisis has even affected his own household. “My wife has not been able to get a cylinder for the past two days,” he said. “We receive piped gas from Mahanagar Gas, but we still need at least one cylinder. Since morning, nearly 60 to 70 people have approached me asking where they can find one.”
He further alleged that long queues for LPG cylinders are being seen in several cities across the country, including Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Jammu. Drawing a comparison with the queues seen during the 2016 Indian demonetisation, Raut said citizens are once again being made to wait for essential services.
“During demonetisation, people died while standing in queues. A similar tragic situation could arise if people continue to stand for hours to get gas cylinders,” he said.
Raut also accused the government of failing on the diplomatic front, arguing that shortcomings in international engagement have contributed to the current crisis. “Making people stand in queues and suffer seems to have become a habit of the Bharatiya Janata Party,” he alleged.
Prime Minister Modi, however, has urged citizens not to panic and said the country will manage the present situation just as it handled the COVID-19 crisis. Responding to this, Raut took another swipe at the government, questioning its handling of the pandemic and asking, “What exactly did they manage?”
