New Delhi [India], March 13, (ANI): Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Friday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assessment of the situation regarding LPG supply in the country in the wake of speculation that supply of cylinders have been hit due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia.

'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,' Chidambaram said today.

Echoing these concerns, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi remarked that the ruling party needs to acknowledge the struggles faced by hotel owners and the general public.

She criticised the government's tendency to shift blame onto the opposition, declaring, 'Blaming the opposition for this situation is equivalent to running away from responsibility.'

These comments surfaced during protests held by Congress workers outside the Indian National Congress headquarters in New Delhi. The demonstrators demanded the resignation of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in light of a reported LPG cylinder shortage.

Protesters accused the central government of failing to provide ample cooking gas supplies and misleading the public regarding the crisis.

As part of their demonstration, party workers set up a makeshift chulha (traditional stove) to prepare tea, symbolising the hardships faced by households across the nation due to the reported gas shortage. Slogans directed against the government highlighted the struggles families are experiencing in obtaining LPG cylinders, resulting in many reverting to traditional cooking methods.

A Congress leader, speaking to ANI, asserted that the crisis stemmed from the central government's flawed policies. 'The cylinder has disappeared from the kitchen of every household. Due to the wrong policies of the country's Prime Minister, we are facing this gas shortage. People are standing in line for gas cylinders, and some are even fainting while waiting,' the leader said.

The protests reflected widespread discontent, as various institutions, including public canteens, have also felt the impact of the shortage. 'Today, even the canteen of the Delhi High Court is closed due to the gas shortage, yet Parliament claims there is no issue,' he noted.

The Congress leader drew parallels to previous crises, stating, 'Just as people stood in queues during demonetization and faced oxygen shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, today, the entire country is waiting in line for gas cylinders.'

Congress MP Jebi Mather said, '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. Then we have to find out ways to address the crisis...That is what Rahul Gandhi attempted to do in parliament yesterday, but he was stopped from not allowing him to complete. Let us acknowledge and let us find out ways, but this government is turning its back on the realities.'

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

On the other matter, related to the statement of MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the Lok Sabha MP from Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu said, 'They have very limited options to exercise at the moment because we are really not a serious player in this conflict. With the airspace filled with drones and missiles, how are we going to evacuate our citizens who want to come back? While I'm not denying that they are in touch, our influence or role in this conflict is not significant or material.' (ANI)