Govt must build trust amid energy crisis-lockdown rumours: Shiv Sena(UBT) in Saamana
Mumbai, March 30 : The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Monday said the BJP-led Mahayuti government should provide transparency regarding the country’s energy reserves instead of threatening citizens with legal action for allegedly spreading rumours and misinformation.
The Thackeray camp in the party's mouthpiece 'Saamana' editorial alleged that the current wave of panic reportedly originated in Gujarat, the home state of the Prime Minister and Home Minister. "Long queues stretching several kilometres have been observed at petrol pumps and gas agencies across Gujarat, with citizens attempting to stockpile fuel in blue water drums. This public anxiety is rooted in past experiences, such as Demonetisation and the COVID-19 lockdowns, where citizens in Gujarat appeared to receive information before the rest of the country. Consequently, the current rush in Gujarat has triggered a fear psychosis in Maharashtra that a lockdown is imminent," it said.
Despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s assurances that "all is well", the ground reality suggests otherwise, as approximately 50 per cent of hotels and dhabas in Mumbai and across Maharashtra have reportedly closed due to the gas shortage. The foundry industry in Western Maharashtra has come to a standstill, while 500 tile-manufacturing companies in Morbi, Gujarat, have shut down. Some businesses have been forced to revert to using firewood and coal to maintain limited operations, claimed the editorial.
According to the editorial, the crisis is heavily influenced by the Iran-Israel conflict, which has disrupted the Strait of Hormuz -- a critical maritime route for 60 per cent of India’s LPG imports. While the government claims to have a 60-day stock of fuel and a one-month supply of LPG, public trust remains low.
"This scepticism is further fuelled by contradictory statements from within the administration. Chief Minister Fadnavis maintains there is no shortage. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has warned that LPG supplies could potentially stop within three months. The government recently decided to resume the distribution of kerosene, which critics point to as a sign of a genuine fuel deficit. Even on a serious issue like fuel shortage, there is no coordination in the talks among the responsible people in power. This causes confusion among the public and allows rumours to flourish,” said the editorial.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena demanded that to quell rumours and prevent hoarding, the government should make public data with regard to daily supply figures and current stock status of petrol, diesel, and gas, the number of vessels successfully navigating the Strait of Hormuz to reach Indian ports and alternative routes and contingency plans for LPG imports.
The Thackeray camp claimed that the prevailing sentiment is that the government’s current "soft" approach is temporary, intended to last only until the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam, and Puducherry. It warned that unless the government replaces threats with transparency, the vacuum of trust will continue to be filled by rumours. It further remarked that the spread of rumours is equivalent to the trust in the government vanishing into thin air.