Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri Friday said all rumours about a lockdown in India are false.
In a post on X, Puri said, “Rumours of a lockdown in India are completely false. Let me state this clearly, there is no such proposal under consideration by the Government of India.
The global situation remains in flux, and we are closely monitoring developments across energy, supply chains, and essential commodities on a real-time basis.
Under the leadership of Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji, all necessary steps are being taken to ensure uninterrupted…
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 27, 2026
He urged citizens to remain calm and responsible and said that all attempts to spread rumours and create panic in such a situation are irresponsible and harmful.
“Attempts to spread rumours and create panic in such a situation are irresponsible and harmful,” he noted.
Puri’s comments come a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed apprehension of a possible lockdown in the country.
“They might impose a lockdown. They will keep people confined to their homes. I fought through the lockdown situation in 2021. I can fight in any given situation,” the TMC supremo said, referring to the 2021 Assembly election in the state that was held during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Puri also acknowlodged the global situation, saying the government is closely monitoring developments across energy sector. He lauded Modi for “taking all necessary steps are being taken to ensure uninterrupted availability of fuel, energy, and other critical supplies for citizens.”
“India has consistently demonstrated resilience in the face of global uncertainties, and we will continue to act in a timely, proactive, and coordinated manner,” he said.
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Excise duty on petrol, diesel slashed
In order to provide relief to citizens amid skyrocketing fuel, diesel prices, the government on Friday slashed excise duties on petrol from Rs 13 to Rs 3 per litre and on diesel to zero, down from the previous Rs 10.
“Government has taken a huge hit on it taxation revenues to ensure very high losses of oil companies (approximately 24 Rs/litre for petrol and 30 Rs/litre for diesel) at this time of sky high international prices are reduced. At the same time, export tax has been levied as international prices of petrol and diesel have skyrocketed and any refinery exporting to foreign nations will have to pay export tax,” Puri said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also expressed confidence in the move, saying it will “provide protection to consumers from rise in prices and they are protected from “vagaries of supply and costs of essential goods.”
In view of the West Asia crisis, the central excise duty on petrol and diesel for domestic consumption has been reduced by ₹10 per litre each. This will provide protection to consumers from rise in prices. Hon. PM @narendramodi has always ensured that citizens are protected from…
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) March 27, 2026
“In view of the West Asia crisis, the central excise duty on petrol and diesel for domestic consumption has been reduced by Rs 10 per litre each.” She said the move will provide protection to consumers from rise in prices and they are protected from “vagaries of supply and costs of essential goods”.
