LUCKNOW, Nov. 5 -- The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) on Wednesday alleged that residents across the state are suffering due to rising inflation, warning that the festive season has turned bitter for many households due to soaring prices. Addressing a press conference Priyanka Gupta, vice-chairperson of the UPCC media department said, "Price of cooking gas has risen by 128 percent over the last 12 years, while the number of subsidised domestic gas cylinders provided annually has been slashed from 12 to just 4. The state government has become entirely apathetic, limiting itself to mere speeches and empty rhetoric." "Since 12 subsidised cylinders are being provided in several other BJP-ruled states, why is Uttar Pradesh being subjected to such discriminatory treatment? It has become difficult for women to manage their kitchens, with the inflation rate for food items reaching 7.74 percent," said Gupta. She highlighted that the rising cost of sugar has dampened the festive spirit of Deepawali. Sugar is currently selling for 60 to 70 rupees per kilogram, whereas during the UPA government's tenure, it was available for 13 rupees per kilogram through ration shops, she claimed. She further said while the procurement price for sugarcane has not been increased, the price of sugar has skyrocketed. She also pointed to the rising costs of other daily essentials, noting that onion prices have surged, milk prices have increased sharply, and the price of pulses has crossed the 200-rupee mark. "The women of Uttar Pradesh will no longer be swayed by the BJP's hollow rhetoric," she concluded....