Lucknow: After his strange remark on diesel/petrol price hike, the Union Petroleum, Oil and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan issued yet another funny statement saying that prices of LPG have gone up due to a 'cold wave'.
"Prices of LPG increased due to intense cold. It is linked with global cold wave-like conditions during which demand for LPG goes up. It will go down with the change of cold weather," said the minister when asked about a hike in prices of gas cylinders by Rs 25 after spike in petrol-diesel prices.
Talking to media persons at Varanasi Airport, the minister, however, refused to make any comment on the Bharat Bandh by transporters and traders to protest against the hike in diesel and petrol prices.
On Thursday, Pradhan had stated in Vrindavan (Mathura) that ice storms in the USA were the reason behind the hike in the prices of diesel and petrol. He claimed that ice storms have severely affected the crude oil production resulting in increase in prices of petroleum products all over the world.
Pradhan, who is on a two-day visit to Varanasi, offered prayers at famous Kashi Vishwanath and Kaal Bhairav temples. He will attend a few functions in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Saturday, he will visit Mirzapur to offer prayers at Vindhyavasini temple.
