NEW DELHI: Panic met pushback. As whispers of a fresh nationwide lockdown ricocheted across social media, Hardeep Singh Puri moved swiftly to shut them down, calling the claims “completely false” and insisting there is “no such proposal” under consideration.
The intervention comes at a jittery moment, with global energy markets roiled by the Iran–US conflict and domestic chatter fuelled by memories of India’s 2020 shutdown. Puri, petroleum and natural gas minister, urged calm, warning that spreading rumours in a fragile environment is “irresponsible and harmful”.
The global situation remains in flux, and we are closely monitoring developments across energy, supply chains, and essential commodities on a real-time basis.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 27, 2026
Under the leadership of Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji, all necessary steps are being taken to ensure uninterrupted…
In a post on X, Puri said the “global situation remains in flux” but stressed that the government is “closely monitoring developments across energy, supply chains, and essential commodities on a real-time basis”. Under Narendra Modi ji’s leadership, he added, “all necessary steps are being taken to ensure uninterrupted availability of fuel, energy, and other critical supplies for our citizens”.
The rumour cycle appears to have been triggered by Modi’s recent speech in Parliament, where he invoked the Covid-19 pandemic as an example of national resilience. He urged citizens to remain “prepared and united”, but did not mention a lockdown. Even so, speculation spiralled, driving online searches and stoking unease alongside reports of LPG concerns and fuel-saving measures abroad.
The Centre has coupled reassurance with action. In a bid to cushion consumers from global price shocks, FM Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 10 per litre cut in central excise duty on petrol and diesel for domestic consumption. Export duties of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.5 per litre on aviation turbine fuel have been imposed to secure local availability. The move, Sitharaman said, will “provide protection to consumers from rise in prices”.
Puri doubled down on preparedness, asserting that India is “fully prepared to handle emerging challenges” and will continue to act in a “timely, proactive, and coordinated manner”. The message is blunt: no lockdown, no shortage, no cause for alarm.
For now, the government is betting that firm words and fiscal tweaks can outpace fear.
