CHENNAI: CPI state secretary R Mutharasan on Tuesday condemned the centre for the steep hike in the commercial LPG cylinder which would indirectly affect the public.

In a statement, he said that the price of the commercial LPG weighing 19 km has gone up to Rs 1898 after the hike of Rs 209.

The price hike of the commercial LPG has effectively reversed the Rs 157 per cylinder cut on September 1 and the Rs 100 cut on August 1.

The prices of 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinders, which had been reduced by Rs 200 in August, have not been changed.

"The price rise of the commercial LPG cylinder has come in the backdrop of the BJP's campaign of reducing the prices by Rs 200," he said, adding that the price hike has severely affected many sectors like tea shops, restaurants, street businesses and is an attack on the public who get services through it.

He said that CPI condemns the BJP government at the Centre for enacting a drama of reducing the price and then hiking it much more than earlier. He demanded the government to roll back the price hike of commercial LPG.