Akhilesh Yadav, national president of the Samajwadi Party, criticized the BJP-led government after the cost of domestic LPG cylinders rose by Rs 29 [1].

The price hike highlights the growing tension between the Indian government's economic policies and the cost-of-living pressures facing ordinary citizens. By framing the increase as a systemic failure, Yadav is positioning his party as the primary defender of the poor against capitalist interests.

On Saturday, the day the price increase was announced, Yadav posted a viral image on social media showing repurposed LPG cylinders being used as makeshift cooking stoves [2]. He said that “necessity is the mother of invention” [3].

Speaking from the Samajwadi Party headquarters in Lucknow, Yadav linked the cost increase to the governing party's ideology [2]. He said the LPG price hike is a result of BJP's anti-poor, pro-capitalist policies [2].

The use of a viral image suggests a strategy to communicate economic hardship through visual storytelling, a method designed to resonate with rural and working-class voters who rely heavily on subsidized fuel. The makeshift stoves in the photo serve as a metaphor for the desperation of citizens forced to innovate due to financial strain.

Yadav said the decision to raise prices further marginalizes the underprivileged [2]. The Samajwadi Party continues to use these price fluctuations to argue that the current administration prioritizes corporate interests over the basic needs of the populace [2].

““necessity is the mother of invention””

This incident reflects the ongoing political battle in India over fuel subsidies and inflation. By utilizing social media to highlight the 'inventions' of the poor, the Samajwadi Party is attempting to turn a specific economic metric—a Rs 29 price increase—into a broader narrative of class struggle and government neglect ahead of future electoral contests.