New Delhi: Amid speculation regarding a possible lockdown in India due to the West Asia crisis, the Union government dismissed such talk as completely false.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said that there is no such proposal under consideration by the Indian government.
The minister said attempts to spread rumours and create panic in such a situation were “irresponsible and harmful”.
The minister took to X to share an update from the government’s side as the US-Iran war completed four weeks.
“The global situation remains in flux, and we are closely monitoring developments across energy, supply chains, and essential commodities on a real-time basis. India has consistently demonstrated resilience in the face of global uncertainties, and we will continue to act in a timely, proactive, and coordinated manner,” Puri wrote.
Reiterating that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure the uninterrupted availability of fuel, energy and other critical supplies, Puri assured the people that the government is “fully prepared to handle emerging challenges.”
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also dismissed speculation suggesting the Centre may consider a lockdown-like measure as fuel shortages loomed.
“I want to reassure people that there shall not be any lockdown. I am surprised that some leaders are saying there will be a lockdown and there will be shortages of fuel. These are baseless. Such remarks coming from those in political domains are worrisome. There will be no lockdown such as we saw during COVID. I want to reassure people that there shall be no such lockdown as we saw in COVID,” Sitharaman said.
The lockdown theory gained ground after the government announced a cut in excise duties on petrol and diesel amid global energy supply disruptions, and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to interact with chief ministers of states and UTs through video conferencing.
The Finance Minister explained that the main aim of pushing excise duty cuts for petrol and diesel was to insulate consumers from the rising price of crude oil due to the ongoing conflict in the Gulf region.
