Arora exposes 'double failure' on foreign, domestic front; contrasts US refinery deal with India's LPG crisis
Says, 'Aatmanirbhar' myth exposed as production dips, consumption & import soars
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Thursday lashed out at BJP-led Centre Government, holding it guilty of "comprehensive failure" on both foreign and domestic fronts. Drawing sharp contrasts between government claims and on-ground reality, he asserted that the twin promises of making India a 'Vishwa Guru' (world leader) and 'Aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant) now lie in tatters.
Participating in condemnation resolution moved by Food & Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak in Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Aman Arora pointed to the contradiction he encountered in today’s newspapers. "On one side there were reports of kilometre-long queues outside gas agencies, thousands of hotels on the verge of closure, countless weddings teetering on cancellation and our mothers & sisters worried about running their kitchens. Right next to them was a full-page advertisement under the banner 'Your Home Our First Priority' by the Government of India, apparently an attempt to console people. The reality is by issuing that advertisement, they have admitted the situation is grave and getting gravier by the day."
He reminded the House of Prime Minister Modi's pre-2014 election speeches, where he thundered about leading the world and achieving self-reliance. "Fourteen years ago, he used to beat his chest and declare that 140 crore Indians would lead the world and never need imports. Today, look at where we stand. On both fronts—whether it is becoming Vishwa Guru or Aatmanirbhar—they have failed miserably."
Aman Arora asserted that after 12 years in power, the BJP led dispensation still cannot distinguish between friends and adversaries. One by one, every neighbouring country has drifted away from us and moved closer to China. This is the legacy of their foreign policy. He questioned the Prime Minister's recent visit to Israel, citing, "He goes there, hugs Netanyahu, and the very next day, the US and Israel eliminate Iran's top political and administrative leadership."
He also reminded the House about the horrific school attack where over hundreds of children were killed and not a single word of condemnation came from their mouths for the innocent children.
Drawing on the central government data, Aman Arora presented a statistical indictment of 12 years of governance. On natural gas, production has fallen from 40.68 BCM in 2012 to 35 BCM in 2024, while consumption has soared from 47 BCM to 69 BCM during the same period. On crude oil, domestic production dropped from 37 million metric tons in 2013-14 to 29 million metric tons in 2023-24, even as consumption shot up from 158 million metric tons to 233 million metric tons.
He highlighted that India's LPG import dependence has risen from 45 per cent in 2014 to a staggering 66 per cent in 2025. "This is their 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'! We import two-thirds of our cooking gas today. Production is falling, consumption is skyrocketing, and they talk of self-reliance. This is not self-reliance, this is dependency deepening by the day."
Aman Arora cited a news report about a massive refinery deal in the United States, backed by Reliance Industries, India's largest private energy company. He then quoted Donald Trump's tweet thanking India and Reliance for the "tremendous investment" that would "power global exports" and bring "fuel and jobs" to America.
"On one side, a country of 140 crore people is standing in lines for LPG cylinders. On the other side, their 'best friend' is doing a multi-billion dollar refinery deal with the US. On one side, our mothers cannot cook food. On the other side, Indian money is building refineries to fuel the world. Can there be a more humiliating situation for this country?"
He assured the people of Punjab that the state government would leave no stone unturned to protect their interests. Despite the Centre’s control over oil and LPG sector, but the government will work day and night to ensure they face no difficulty.