As LPG cylinders disappear from agency shelves across India, millions of citizens have turned to the one thing that never runs out — internet humour. The LPG shortage meme fest of 2026 has taken over every social media platform, with Indians cracking jokes, sharing reels, and flooding X, Instagram, and WhatsApp with viral content about empty kitchens and elusive gas cylinders. But behind the laughter, some real-life reactions are far more serious.
'Sunaar Ki Dukaan Pe Milega' — Memes Flood the Internet
Social media platforms have been flooded with memes comparing the difficulty of getting an LPG cylinder to buying gold. One widely shared post read: "Gas to kuch dino mein sonar ki dukaan pe bikega" — Gas will soon be sold at the goldsmith's shop.
Viral reels about cooking on imaginary gas, switching back to ancient chulhas, and borrowing cylinders from neighbours the way people once borrowed sugar have racked up millions of views. Videos joke about people cooking on candles or marking their cylinders like treasure.
MP Teacher Suspended for Mimicking PM Over Gas Prices
In Madhya Pradesh, the crisis moved beyond memes and into real consequences. A primary school teacher in Shivpuri was suspended after a video of him mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi while commenting on rising LPG cylinder prices went viral on social media.
In the video, the teacher copies the Prime Minister's speaking style and delivers a satirical monologue — suggesting that gas prices have been raised to stop people from eating gas-cooked food, which supposedly causes stomach gas, making people sick, and therefore the nation sick. Action was taken against him under Madhya Pradesh Civil Services Rules and he was suspended with immediate effect, with his headquarters fixed at the Block Education Officer's office during the suspension period.
Modi's 2018 'Naali Gas' Clip Goes Viral Again
An old video from 2018 has resurfaced with enormous force amid the crisis. During a World Biofuel Day event that year, PM Modi had shared a story of a tea vendor who channelled gas bubbling from a gutter drain through a pipe directly to his stove — calling it an easy technique linked to biofuel innovation.
In March 2026, as the LPG shortage deepens, the clip has been rediscovered across Instagram reels, WhatsApp forwards, and X. Users have dubbed it "Liquid Naali Gas" — a satirical play on LNG. One widely shared post read: "Nobel Prize for Chemistry: Liquid Nala Gas."
Woman Breaks Down at Gas Agency in Morena
Not all the viral content carries humour. A deeply distressing video from the Joura area of Morena district went viral showing a woman breaking down at a gas agency after being denied a cylinder. She had reportedly visited the agency multiple days in a row without success. The video drew widespread sympathy online, sharply highlighting the difference between internet jokes and the ground reality faced by ordinary families.
Fake Deepfake Video of Free Cylinders Spreads Misinformation
The crisis has also become fertile ground for misinformation. A deepfake video went viral falsely claiming that the government had announced free LPG cylinders for all households amid the shortage. No such announcement has been made. Citizens are being urged to verify information before forwarding or sharing.
Identical 'Fast Delivery' Posts Raise Suspicion
A wave of nearly identical posts flooded social media claiming that LPG cylinders were being delivered within two hours of booking, with users describing the same booking and delivery times almost word for word. The coordinated nature of the posts raised questions about whether the content was genuine or part of an organised effort to counter shortage narratives.
Black Market Prices Spiral Out of Control
Street vendors in parts of North India have reportedly been paying over ₹2,300 for cylinders that normally cost around ₹1,750. In extreme cases, black-market prices have reportedly touched nearly ₹5,000 per cylinder, reflecting panic-driven demand spreading rapidly across the country.
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