PRAYAGRAJ, March 16 -- The demand for LPG cylinders in Uttar Pradesh surged dramatically from 50 lakh to 80 lakh per day following rumours, Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said on Sunday. He was addressing the Holi and Basantotsav festival held on the second day of the 10-day Saras Fair at the Parade Ground in Prayagraj. Maurya accused opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav of spreading false propaganda, claiming that their statements have created unnecessary panic among the public. "Under normal circumstances, daily LPG demand was around 55-60 lakh cylinders. Due to these rumours and disinformation, it has now jumped to 88 lakh," he said. The deputy CM assured that the crisis would soon be resolved with additional oil and gas shipments arriving. "With Prime Minister Modi at the helm, this is possible," he added. Maurya further questioned the patriotism of the opposition leaders and compared their behaviour to that of Naxalites. Addressing BJP workers, Maurya urged them to prepare for the 2027 Assembly elections. He claimed that the opposition is troubled by government schemes like free grains for 80 crore citizens, Ayushman Card health coverage, electrification of households, housing for millions, and direct cash transfers of Rs.6,000 to each farmer, which have curbed corruption and criminal activity. He also referred to the elimination of mafia figure Atiq Ahmad in Prayagraj, highlighting the BJP's governance achievements. Maurya criticized opposition claims against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, maintaining that allegations about changing the Constitution or ending reservations were false. He asserted that BJP will continue its electoral dominance in 2027, just as it did in 2017 and 2022, and expressed confidence in victories in the upcoming five state assembly elections. On national security, Maurya emphasized India's growing strength, warning that any provocation would be met with decisive action, including surgical and air strikes. He said that the next goal is to hoist the national flag in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The festival also featured cultural performances, including one by singer Kailash Kher. Key attendees included MPs Praveen Patel and Vinod Kumar Bind, mayor Umesh Chandra Ganesh Kesrawani, MLAs Guru Prasad Maurya, Harshvardhan Bajpai, Rajmani Kol, Deepak Patel and Piyush Ranjan Nishad, MLCs KP Srivastava, Surendra Chaudhary and Babulal Tiwari, former Mayor Abhilasha Gupta Nandi, and BJP city and regional presidents....