Was LPG hike done to recover cost of toppling MVA govt in Maha, asks NCP

Slamming the BJP-led Centre for the price hike of an LPG cylinder by Rs 50, the NCP on Wednesday asked if the money spent on toppling the MVA govt being recovered through the hike

Slamming the BJP-led Centre for the price hike of an LPG cylinder by Rs 50, the NCP on Wednesday asked if the money spent on toppling the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra was being recovered from citizens.

The Centre on Wednesday hiked the rate of domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders by Rs 50 per cylinder, the third increase in rates since May.

Last month, Shiv Sena MLA Eknath Shinde had launched a rebellion against the Shiv Sena and majority of the party MLAs sided with him, which led to the collapse of the MVA government (which comprised the Sena, NCP and Congress) led by Uddhav Thackeray.

On June 30, Shinde was sworn in as the new chief minister of Maharashtra and BJP's Devendra Fadnavis was sworn is as the deputy CM.

NCP's chief spokesman Mahesh Tapase in a statement on Wednesday said there is room for doubt that the amount spent on toppling the Maharashtra government is being recovered through the hike in LPG price.

On one hand, 50 MLAs from the Maha Vikas Aghadi rebel and on the other hand, immediately after assuming power in Maharashtra, the BJP-led govt at the Centre increases the price of LPG cylinder by Rs 50, Tapase said.

"The 50 rebel MLAs were escorted to Surat, flown to Guwahati and then to Goa only to be pampered in posh hotels. The invisible force behind this entire operation must have spent a sizable amount of money and the common citizen of the country wonders whether this LPG price hike has anything to do with that," Tapase said.

"Fifty MLAs and Rs 50 price rise in LPG sound similar, but do they have any connection?" he asked.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde promised to reduce taxes on petrol and diesel just a day ago, and on Wednesday, people were taken by surprise when the BJP hiked the price of LPG cylinders, the NCP leader said.

This shows that the reality is different from perception, he said.

Meanwhile, NCP Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule tweeted that the common man is already plagued by inflation and is likely to suffer more due to such hikes.

In Mumbai, people will have to pay more than Rs 1,052 for an LPG cylinder, she said while appealing to Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to reverse the hike.