Lockdown news: Amid panic buying at petrol pumps, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Puri on Friday dismissed rumours of a nationwide lockdown. This comes amid reports of long queues at petrol pumps in panic and LPG cylinder shortages triggered by the Middle East conflict and Strait of Hormuz closure. The minister clearly stated that there is no  such proposal in the pipeline. 

'Rumours are completely false'

"These rumours are completely false. Let me be clear — the Government of India is not considering any lockdown. In such times, we must stay calm and united," Puri posted on X.

Why did rumours spread?

After long queues were seen at petrol pumps across the nation,  rumours spread like a wildfire that lockdown is going to be imposed. There has also been a surge in search for word "LOCKDOWN" on Google in the past couple of days, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hinted that they must remain ready for any situation amid the Middle East crisis. People started making a beeline for petrol pumps across the country, leading to closure of fuel stations at some places, especially in Punjab. On the other hand, LPG cylinder supplies have also been affected after the Strait of Hormuz, a key energy route, was shut down due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Fuel supply is safe, government assures

Harpreet Puri has  assured the citizens of the country that government is doing everything possible to keep fuel and energy supplies running without interruption.

"Under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, all necessary steps are being taken to ensure fuel, energy, and other critical supplies remain available to our citizens. We are fully prepared," he added.

'India has handled crises before'

Minister Hardep Puri also stated that India has successfully handled global crises in the past and is well-equipped to handle this situation too.