After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the reduction of LPG cylinder prices by Rs 100 on the occasion of International Women's Day, the Opposition member attacked the Centre questioning the timing of announcement.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) MP Supriya Sule, while speaking to ANI on Friday said that the decision to cut the LPG cylinder prices by Rs 100 is a 'political' move that has come as a 'compulsion' ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
"I am not surprised at all. Look at the timing. They have been in power for the last 9 years. Why didn't they think of this earlier? Just when the election, I mean it will probably be announced in the next 5 or 6 days, "yeh aur ek jumla hai"... It's all political, it is from the heart at all," she said.
She further said, "In our government, the cylinder was Rs 430. Why don't they match it?."
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Saket Gokhle hit out at PM Modi saying, "Modi’s “Naari Shakti” is limited to election campaigning".
Taking to X, TMC leader wrote, "Modi first made a token cut in LPG prices on Raksha Bandhan last year. And now he’s made one today on Women’s Day after a WHOLE 7 MONTHS. If the Modi Govt could afford to reduce LPG prices all this while, why wasn’t it done for the last 7 months?"
"It doesn’t matter to Modi how women of India survive under sky-high LPG prices all year unless he gets to have an “event” & a PR opportunity."
"Modi’s “Naari Shakti” is limited to election campaigning. That’s the only time he remembers that women exist. The “concern” for the women of India is meant only on special days where Modi can “take benefit” for his own selfish advantage", he added.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore also took a dig at the government calling the move a 'Jumla'.
In a post on X, Tagore said, "On #WomensDay, Modi's Jumla: LPG price slashed by Rs. 100! Now it's Rs. 823... Just a little flashback: In 2014, Dr Singh (Manmohan Singh) gave a subsidy of Rs 600 and the price was 641 Rs."
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday announced the reduction of LPG cylinder prices by Rs 100 on the occasion of International Women's Day.
The government in October last year hiked the subsidy from Rs 200 per 14.2-kg cylinders for up to 12 refills per year to Rs 300 per bottle. The Rs 300 per cylinder subsidy was for the current fiscal, which ends on March 31.
The announcement also comes a day after the Centre approved an extension of targeted cooking gas subsidy of Rs 300 per 14.2-kg cylinder to the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) by one more year till the end of 2024-25. The LPG subsidy will be provided for up to 12 refills per year.
(With inputs from ANI)
