Mallikarjun Kharge.
Credit: PTI Photo
The Congress on Tuesday claimed the slash in LPG prices by the Centre is the result of BJP's rout in the Karnataka polls and two 'highly successful' opposition meetings, and said people should expect more such 'gifts' as Prime Minister Narendra Modi becomes "even more desperate to cling on to his chair."
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said when the votes start decreasing, then the election gifts start getting distributed.
"The merciless Modi government, which looted the hard earned money of the people, is now showing feigned goodwill towards the mothers and sisters," he said in Hindi on X.
For nine and a half years, by selling Rs 400 LPG cylinders for Rs 1,100, they kept destroying the lives of the common people, Kharge said, asking, then why didn't any 'affectionate gift' come to mind.
"The Modi government should know that in 2024, the anger of the troubled people of the country cannot be reduced by a subsidy of Rs 200. The fear of I.N.D.I.A (alliance) is good, Modi ji," he said.
"The public has made up its mind. The only option is to show the exit door to the BJP to beat inflation," Kharge said.
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said three months before the five state elections, where the "BJP is staring at certain defeat", and six months before the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is literally clutching at straws.
"A sudden slash in LPG prices by Mr. Modi. Why now, you may ask? Yeh hai kissa 'demokursi' ka," Ramesh said on X.
Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala said the Modi government has raised LPG prices and looted 31.37 crore people in the last 9.5 years. It has looted over Rs 8.33 lakh crore from people's pockets, he alleged.
In the Ujjwala scheme alone, Rs 68,702.76 crore profits were taken out of women's pockets since 2017, according to official data, he claimed.
"With elections nearing, the Modi government has remembered giving gifts to mothers and sisters of the country six months before," he said.
The government on Tuesday announced a Rs 200 per cylinder cut in prices of domestic cooking gas as it looked to counter the promise of cheaper LPG made by the Congress in upcoming assembly elections in states such as Madhya Pradesh.
Ramesh said the BJP saw a rout in the Karnataka assembly polls in which the high price of LPG was one of the main issues.
"Two highly successful I.N.D.I.A (bloc) meetings in two months and the third coming up in two days,' he said referring to the Opposition alliance meeting in Mumbai beginning Thursday.
"The Congress government in Karnataka has implemented its five guarantees in 100 days and the Congress government in Rajasthan is giving LPG cylinders at Rs 500," Ramesh said, noting that the response has been phenomenal as people were hurting from BJP's 'misgovernance'.
"Three months before the five state elections, where BJP is staring at certain defeat, and six months before the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is literally clutching at straws. Expect more such gifts' in the coming months as the Prime Minister becomes even more desperate to cling on to his chair," the Congress leader said.
Surjewala said, "Modi ji, will the loot of 9.5 years, these Rs 8,33,640.76 crores will be compensated by a subsidy of only Rs 200 for a few months?"
"Will you make atonement for the Ujjwala sisters from whom you looted Rs 68,702.76 crore and forced them to cook food on their stoves," he asked.
The Congress governments are now giving and are about to give LPG cylinders for Rs 500, fearing this, your 'gift' has come in a hurry, Surjewala said.
"In 2024, the people of the country will definitely 'return' you out of power and give a 'return gift' to the BJP," he said.
At present, a 14.2-kg LPG cylinder in the national capital costs Rs 1,103 - more than double the rate it came for in May 2020. It will cost Rs 903 when the Centre's decision is implemented from Wednesday.
For Ujjwala beneficiaries, the price will be Rs 703 after considering the continuing Rs 200 per cylinder subsidy.
Announcing the decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said the move is aimed at providing relief to households.
Also, the government will provide an additional 75 lakh Ujjwala connections, which will take the total PMUY beneficiaries to 10.35 crore.