Guwahati, May 21 — The CPI(M) on Wednesday held a protest in Guwahati, accusing the “double-engine government” of failing to curb soaring fuel and cooking-gas prices and alleging an artificial shortage of LPG cylinders in the city. More than 200 party workers and supporters marched near the Guwahati Club with placards and slogans, demanding an immediate rollback of petrol, diesel and LPG price hikes.
Organised by the Kamrup Metropolitan district committee, the rally drew participants from across the city. Senior CPI(M) leaders present included state secretary Suprakash Talukdar, Shatanjeev Das, Tiken Das, Tapan Sharma, Nayan Bhuyan, Sangeeta Das, Nirankush Nath, district secretary Biren Sharma and Bhawen Kumar Kalita.
Addressing the gathering, Talukdar said ruling-party promises made before elections had not been met and that the government had no clear response to a worsening economic situation and growing public hardship. He claimed prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and other essentials rose sharply immediately after Assembly elections in five states, and criticised central economic policies for favouring large corporations with tax concessions and loan waivers while advising ordinary citizens to cut consumption.
The party targeted repeated increases in fuel taxes and cess. Biren Sarma said the latest hikes had pushed petrol in Guwahati to Rs 102.45 per litre and diesel to Rs 93.44 per litre, while a domestic LPG cylinder had risen to Rs 962. The CPI(M) alleged that despite a fall in international crude prices in recent years, consumers had not received corresponding relief and the Centre continued to collect substantial revenue from petroleum taxation.
CPI(M) leaders warned that rising fuel costs ripple across agriculture, transport and freight, driving up prices of essential commodities and disproportionately affecting farmers, labourers and lower‑middle‑class households. They also raised alarms over cooking‑gas availability, saying consumers face long queues and delays despite official claims of adequate stock; the party added that 5‑kg cylinders were being sold at Rs 869 in some places and that reports of black‑market sales had emerged.
The protest concluded with a call from the CPI(M) for a united movement against price rises and what it described as anti‑people economic policies.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/guwahati/cpim-stages-protest-in-guwahati-over-fuel-price-hike-lpg-shortage-allegations-1611855
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Publish Date: 2026-05-21 09:42:00
