Sena (UBT) calls CNG, commercial LPG price hikes a ‘cruel Diwali gift’

• Shiv Sena (UBT) criticised higher CNG and commercial LPG prices, describing them as a “cruel Diwali gift”.

• A Saamana editorial said the increases would add to household expenses despite domestic LPG prices remaining unchanged.

• The party linked the financial strain to drought, food inflation and higher borrowing costs.

Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday criticised the Centre over increases in CNG and commercial LPG prices, calling them a “cruel Diwali gift” to people already facing rising living costs and drought-related hardship.

An editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana said the increases would stretch household budgets during the festive season, leaving families with less money for celebrations.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party argued that farmers facing crop losses and citizens drawing on modest savings would find it harder to meet additional expenses ahead of Diwali.

According to the editorial, CNG prices in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region had risen by Re 1 per kg, the sixth increase in six months, while commercial LPG cylinder prices had gone up by Rs 10.

The party challenged the argument that unchanged domestic LPG prices protected households from the latest increase. It said higher commercial gas costs could feed into the prices of restaurant meals, takeaway food, sweets and ready-made festive snacks.

The editorial also pointed to what it described as a Rs 1,000 increase in commercial cylinder prices in May. It dismissed a subsequent reduction as inadequate, arguing that renewed increases had undermined any relief.

Beyond fuel costs, Saamana highlighted the combined pressure of drought, food inflation and borrowing expenses. It cited food inflation of 7.74 per cent and attributed the strain on supplies and prices partly to drought conditions and the Iran–US conflict.

The editorial said rising prices of pulses, grains and other essentials were making routine purchases increasingly difficult for ordinary families. It also argued that the Reserve Bank of India’s repo rate increase had added to borrowers’ repayment burden through higher interest costs.

Taking aim at the government’s political priorities, the party accused it of holding back fuel and commodity price increases until elections in five states were over, before allowing prices to rise.

It also questioned the contrast between the Prime Minister’s appeals for austerity and policies that, in the party’s view, left citizens with less disposable income.

The editorial urged the government to recognise the pressure on household finances, arguing that successive price increases were diminishing families’ ability to celebrate Diwali.

With IANS inputs