‘Lockdown rumours completely false’: Hardeep Puri says India prepared to handle Iran war challenges

Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday rebuked rumours floating around about a possible lockdown situation in India amid the worsening crisis in West Asia.

“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,” he said on X.

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

Lockdown fears were raised in India as reports of the Iran war triggering a gas and oil shortage globally made their way to people’s attention. “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 said.

Earlier this week, the Indian government firmly dismissed speculation about a nationwide lockdown, saying there are no plans to restrict public movement or economic activity. Officials added that recent remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been widely misinterpreted.

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The fears also stemmed after PM Modi delivered a speech in the parliament, where he called for “preparedness” amid the evolving situation in West Asia.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, similarly, assuaged fears about lockdown, saying, “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.”