Opposition leaders targeted the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as reports poured in Wednesday of the cooking-gas crisis sparked by the war on Iran exacerbating across India with restaurants, hotels and eateries from Bangalore to Bihar feeling the heat.

India consumes around 191 million standard cubic metres (mmscmd) per day of gas, roughly half of which is imported. With tanker movement through the Strait of Hormuz affected, about 60 mmscmd of supply from the Middle East has been disrupted.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal squarely blamed Prime Minister Modi.

“Modi has made a mistake by demolishing India's non-aligned policy of 75 years. We should not have aligned with anyone. He stood by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day before the war began. We have made Iran our enemy,” he said.

The former Delhi chief minister also warned that hotels and restaurants could shut if the situation continued.

The AAP government in Punjab on Wednesday moved a resolution in the state Assembly against the Centre over the increase in LPG rates and the looming shortage of commercial cylinders, expressing concern it would hit restaurants, eateries and other sectors

“There is a heavy shortage of LPG in the country. The reason behind this is that 90 per cent of the LPG imported in India is from the Strait of Hormuz,” Kejriwal said. “Restaurants and hotels are facing shortages. In the next two days, 50 per cent of hotels are on the verge of shutdown, news is coming from Delhi NCR, Bihar.”

Priyanka Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House complex: "I am wondering, how much will the people tolerate. In the last 10 years if you see, prices of all things has gone up, unemployment is rising, now look at the LPG situation…. All this is because of their [BJP’s] policies. It would have been better if these things were debated in Parliament, we would have been able to raise people's questions," she said.

In Bengal, minister and Trinamool spokesperson Shashi Panja also underlined that it was a pan-India crisis.

“It is the lack of foresightedness of the BJP government at the Centre. The common people are in distress, suffering,” she said.

Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin said he had written to the prime minister and the Union petroleum minister flagging the cooking-gas crisis.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned that uncertainty in supply could affect hotels and restaurants, especially during Ramadan when demand increases.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has also written to Union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri seeking urgent intervention.

In Maharashtra, Congress legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar claimed that a severe shortage of cooking gas had created anxiety among households and forced eateries to shut in some areas.

Bihar deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary said efforts were being made by the Centre and the state government to ensure adequate supply of LPG cylinders.

"The central government has issued special guidelines to officials to control the situation. The government has also ordered a 10 per cent increase in domestic LPG production," Choudhary said.

Goa to Chennai, same cry

In Delhi, the Lawyers’ Canteen at Delhi High Court has temporarily stopped serving main courses because of the LPG shortage. In a notice issued on Wednesday, the canteen management said the lack of gas cylinders had made it impossible to cook regular meals.

In Bengaluru, LPG dealers said panic enquiries for domestic cylinders have increased in the past few days even though supply for domestic consumers remains stable.

Several dealers said advance bookings have also increased as customers try to secure refills earlier than usual.

For commercial LPG users, however, there is an acute shortage.

"There is a crisis for commercial cylinders, but there is no problem with the domestic supply. Earlier, we used to supply within two or three days, but now, after the crisis, we cannot deny supplies for domestic use. One cylinder lasts about a month for a household, so they have fixed a 30-day time period for stock here. People may panic, so this has to be handled carefully," a representative at a cooking gas dealership in Bengaluru said.

In Goa, restaurant owners said if the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders continues it could hit the tourism sector. Chief minister Pramod Sawant said the government would take up the issue with the Union petroleum minister. “It is a concern for the tourism industry. We will try to resolve the problem as soon as possible,” he said.

BJP MLA Michael Lobo said that if supplies do not improve, nearly half the restaurants in the state could shut down.

Goa Hotel and Restaurant Association president Gaurish Dhond said members have been asked to reduce menus and switch to electric devices wherever possible.

Reports of possible supply disruption also triggered panic among consumers in parts of Uttar Pradesh. In Lakhimpur Kheri district, residents rushed to LPG distribution centres on Tuesday to collect their cylinders. District supply officer Anjani Kumar Singh called the rush a “false panic”.

Uttarakhand has also started making alternative arrangements. Forest minister Subodh Uniyal said the government may provide firewood for commercial use if the shortage worsens.

In Tamil Nadu, several restaurants have reduced the number of dishes served due to the shortage.

“We have prepared idli, sambhar and vada. We have removed dosa varieties. In the afternoon and dinner, the menu will be variety rices only, since dosa and fried rice items require a continuous supply of LPG,” said a hotel owner on Chennai’s East Coast Road.

Some establishments in Chennai also declared a holiday on Wednesday. “Due to lack of LPG supply, March 11, 2026 has been declared a holiday,” read a notice displayed outside a hotel.

In Puducherry, too, hotel owners said they may have to shut down if commercial LPG supplies do not resume soon. Many hotels have started cooking with firewood, reduced working hours or shifted partially to electric cookers to keep operations going.

The price of firewood has risen to Rs 1,000 per ‘kundu’ from the usual Rs 300. Even then, it can be used only for some south Indian dishes and not for items such as Chinese food.

Cloud over train meals

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has directed catering units at railway stations in its western zone to shift to microwave and induction plates and maintain stocks of ready-to-eat food items for passengers.

In a communication issued Tuesday, the IRCTC asked operators of food plazas, refreshment rooms and 'Jan Ahaars' to switch to alternative arrangements to maintain seamless catering services for travelling passengers.

"You must switch over to alternate cooking modes viz. microwaves and induction, to offset any potential shortage in LPG supplies," the advisory reads.

The catering units have also been asked to maintain sufficient inventory of ready-to-eat food items in addition to standard packaged and cooked food items to meet passenger demand.