Shiv Sena (UBT) slams Centre over LPG shortage, calls govt claims ‘hollow’

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre over the disruption in LPG supply amid the escalating West Asia conflict, alleging that despite official assurances of "adequate stocks", the country is facing a deepening cooking gas crisis that has left many kitchens empty.

In a sharp editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction claimed that the widening gap between the government’s claims and the ground reality is becoming increasingly evident, with long queues outside gas agencies and several eateries shutting operations due to the supply crunch.

While the Centre continues to maintain that LPG production has increased and supply remains stable, the editorial argued that the situation on the ground tells a very different story. It alleged that the shortage of commercial cooking gas cylinders has begun affecting several cities across the country, including those in Maharashtra.

According to the editorial, the crisis has been exacerbated by geopolitical tensions in West Asia, particularly Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route through which a significant portion of the world’s oil and gas supplies are transported. Countries like India, which depend heavily on imports from the Gulf for petrol, diesel and LPG, are now facing the brunt, it said.