'Inflation man has cracked the whip again': Congress slams PM Modi over commercial LPG price hike

NEW DELHI: The Congress party on Monday attacked the Centre after commercial LPG cylinder prices were increased by up to Rs 53.50 from June 1, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of burdening people with rising costs.The opposition party alleged that 'Inflation Man Modi' had once again 'cracked the whip' by raising LPG prices.The attack came after the price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder was increased across major cities. In Delhi, the price was raised by Rs 42 to Rs 3,113.50, while in Kolkata it went up by Rs 53.50 to Rs 3,255.50.The price revision applies to commercial cylinders used by hotels, restaurants and businesses. There has been no change in domestic cooking gas cylinder prices.The price of a 5-kg Free Trade LPG (FTL) cylinder was also increased by Rs 11 and now costs Rs 821.50 in Delhi.Targeting the government over the latest revision, the Congress party shared a post on X and alleged that commercial LPG prices had risen sharply over the past five months."'Inflation Man' Modi has cracked the whip again. Today, he hiked the commercial cylinder by ₹53.50," the party wrote.The Congress claimed that commercial LPG cylinder prices have increased by a cumulative Rs 1,571.50 since the beginning of the year. According to the party, the latest hike of Rs 53.50 on June 1 follows successive increases in January, February, March, April and May.The party further alleged, "In just 5 months, the commercial cylinder has become about 1,572 rupees more expensive, and the year isn't even over yet. Modi's extraction continues."In a separate post, Congress also criticised the increase in the price of 5-kg LPG cylinders, claiming consumers had been encouraged to switch to smaller cylinders only to face higher prices later."'Inflation Man' Modi has also made the 5 kg small LPG cylinder more expensive," the party wrote.Congress claimed that the price of the small cylinder had increased by a total of Rs 272 in the last month."First, 'Inflation Man' told the public to buy the small cylinder, then started the extortion," the party further wrote.The latest LPG price hike comes as the Centre reviews India's fuel security strategy following supply disruptions linked to tensions in West Asia. The government has asked state-run oil marketing companies to work towards maintaining LPG reserves equivalent to at least 30 days of demand.However, the Centre has maintained that there is no shortage of fuel in the country. Officials have said India has sufficient stocks of petrol, diesel, LPG, crude oil and natural gas, while domestic refineries are operating at optimum levels and LPG production remains at record highs.