Protest staged in Kalaburagi against hike in LPG prices

Expressing strong dissent against the recent surge in LPG prices, the district unit of the Congress Women’s Wing staged a protest in Kalaburagi on Monday.

The protesters condemned the Central government’s decision to raise domestic LPG cylinder prices by ₹60, calling it a “cruel measure” that disproportionately affects economically vulnerable households, including the beneficiaries of the Ujjwala scheme.

Simultaneously, commercial LPG cylinders saw an increase of ₹114.50, a burden that will ultimately fall on the common consumer, the agitators said.

Leading the protest, district president of the Congress Women Unit Renuka M. Singhe criticised the BJP-led Central government and said that such price escalations betray the interests of ordinary citizens and exploit their essential energy needs.

“This hike is not just a number; it is an added burden on households already struggling with rising living costs. The Ujjwala beneficiaries, who were promised subsidised energy for cooking, are the worst hit,” she remarked.

The protest turned symbolic as party workers laid LPG cylinders across the road in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, rejecting the government’s move and highlighting the everyday hardships faced by ordinary families.

To highlight the impact on daily life, women demonstrators prepared rotis on traditional woodfire stoves on the streets, drawing public attention to the irony of paying more for modern cooking fuel while being forced to revert to age-old methods due to unaffordability.

The agitators criticised the Centre for prioritising corporate and commercial interests over citizens welfare. They said that the persistent rise in fuel prices, including cooking gas, constitutes a silent assault on household budgets, particularly affecting women who manage day-to-day household needs.