NEW DELHI: Former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the reported shortage of LPG cylinders, linking the crisis to India’s position in the ongoing West Asia conflict.Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Kejriwal alleged that the country is facing a fuel crisis because Prime Minister Narendra Modi sided with the United States and Israel, which he said undermined India’s long-standing non-alignment policy.
He claimed that India’s LPG imports through the Strait of Hormuz — a key maritime route controlled by Iran — have dropped sharply.“The country is facing serious trouble due to a shortage of LPG used in homes and industries. Nearly 60% of the LPG consumed in India is imported, and about 90% of that comes through the Strait of Hormuz. Our imports have fallen drastically,” Kejriwal said. He attributed the disruption to the escalation after Israel and the US carried out strikes against Iran, claiming that Tehran was now allowing passage through the strait mainly to friendly nations.The AAP leader further accused Modi of aligning too closely with the US and demanded that he step down.He said, “He stood by Israel and the US. What was the need to visit Israel and hug Netanyahu before the war began? I am ashamed to say, but it feels like PM Modi has turned President Trump’s slave. PM Modi has turned this nation with 140 crore people into a colony of the US. The PM is weak and is being blackmailed. People are angry. Trump said stop buying oil from Russia, PM Modi said ‘yes sir’, Trump said 18 per cent tariffs on Indian goods and no tariffs on the US, and PM Modi said ‘yes sir.‘ If PM Modi should resign, if he feels that Trump has something against him, that would cause embarrassment.”PM Modi visited Israel and met his counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, on February 25 and 26. On February 28, Israel and the US launched the joint strikes against Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran retaliated by striking against Israel and US assets in West Asia, widening the conflict.Expressing concern over the shortage of LPG, the AAP leader said, “Restaurants and hotels are suffering an immediate repercussion. Restaurants and hotels cannot store the LPG due to safety concerns, so they get a daily supply. So now if the LPG is cut suddenly, they would not have enough stock for a couple of days. 20 per cent of restaurants and hotels have closed down in Mumbai, and 50 per cent might close in the next two days. Thousands of restaurants might close in Punjab and Delhi-NCR. This is the peak wedding season. In Morbi, which is considered to be the capital of the tile industry, 170 of 650 industries have closed. About one crore people are likely to be unemployed across the nation. The government also hiked the prices of commercial and domestic LPG.”Meanwhile, the Union government has attributed the supply issues to global energy disruptions triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Invoking the Essential Commodities Act, the Centre has prioritised LPG supply for households, hospitals and essential services while curbing commercial distribution in several regions.It has also introduced a new rule mandating a 25-day gap between domestic LPG refill bookings to manage demand and prevent hoarding.
