Varanasi (UP), Dec 1 (PTI) Miscreants fled with 147 gas cylinders from an agency located in Varanasi, officials said on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for Gomti Zone, Pramod Kumar, confirmed that police are investigating the matter.

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The agency's security guard claimed the miscreants allegedly threatened him with a knife on Saturday night in the Chhateri village, under the jurisdiction of the Mirza Murad police station.

"We have received a complaint regarding the incident and preliminary investigation is underway."

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Police are currently reviewing nearby CCTV footage to gather more evidence and identify the culprits.

Reacting to the incident, Samajwadi Party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav termed the incident as "shocking."

In a post on 'X' in Hindi, he said, "The news of looting of 147 filled cylinders at gunpoint in Varanasi, the prime parliamentary constituency of the country, is shocking."

He further criticised the BJP government, saying, "The public is mocking the BJP government and asking whether these robbers have said before leaving that the BJP government will fulfil the promise of free cylinders on Holi-Diwali or it will be done in the same way. The BJP has made a mockery of the law and order situation in UP. Seriously reprehensible!"

BJP leaders during the 2022 assembly elections had promised to provide a free gas cylinder to every household on Holi and Diwali.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)