Fuel, LPG price hike sparks Cong protest at Indian Oil HQ

Congress leaders and workers on Tuesday staged a three-hour demonstration, including a gherao, at the Indian Oil state headquarters at Shri Ram Mandir Chowk on VIP Road, protesting recent increases in fuel and cooking gas prices and alleging shortages at petrol pumps and gas agencies.

Protesters said domestic LPG prices had risen by about Rs 90 over the past two months, while availability of cooking gas, petrol and diesel had become erratic. They also objected to what they described as the central government’s decision to limit Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries to four cylinders a year instead of nine, calling it an additional burden on poor households.



Menon contrasted current prices with those during the UPA period, claiming that when Brent crude was around $140 a barrel under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, LPG cost Rs 410, diesel Rs 62 and petrol Rs 65, and argued that UPA policies helped India withstand the global recession.

City district Congress president Shrikumar Shankar Menon and former mayor Pramod Dubey criticised BJP leaders, including Smriti Irani and Rajnath Singh, for what they called silence on rising prices. Former MLAs Vikas Upadhyay and Kuldeep Juneja accused the Centre and state governments of fueling inflation and making “false promises” before elections.

Protesters submitted a memorandum to Indian Oil and district administration officials, demanding steps to curb inflation, increase subsidies on petrol, diesel and LPG, ensure 12 cylinders annually for Ujjwala beneficiaries, and address supply shortages. They warned of possible gheraos of MPs’ and MLAs’ residences if demands are ignored.