Chaos in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly on Thursday as Opposition Congress MLAs protested a severe shortage of cooking gas cylinders and petroleum products. The uproar, which veered into discussions of international conflicts and local black marketing, culminated in the automatic suspension of 30 Congress legislators after they stormed the well of the House. Leader of the Opposition Charan Das Mahant kicked off the Zero Hour debate, claiming over 36 lakh consumers in the state are struggling to get LPG cylinders. He accused the government of hiking prices the day after Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai assured no shortages would occur. BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar countered that LPG supply is a central government matter, but former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel retorted that the state must curb resulting black marketing and hoarding.

 

Baghel linked the crisis to global tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran, which have disrupted nationwide supply chains. “Commercial gas supplies have stopped, forcing nearly 50% of hotels in major cities to shut down. If this persists, upcoming weddings and events will grind to a halt,” he warned. He further alleged shortages in petroleum products are fueling illegal hoarding and demanded the government reveal current stock levels and distribution plans. Tensions peaked when the Chair rejected an adjournment motion, citing central jurisdiction. Enraged Congress MLAs rushed into the well, raising slogans against the government. Under assembly rules, 30 members including senior leaders were automatically suspended. After a short adjournment, suspensions were revoked, allowing MLAs to rejoin session.