‘Lockdown Rumours False’: Oil Minister; Centre Slashes Excise Duty On Fuel, Will It Help Consumers?

Lockdown rumours are completely false, the Narendra Modi government said on Friday amid the global energy supply disruptions. In an X post, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said there was no such proposal under consideration by the government of India. The minister's clarification came after rumours of a possible nationwide lockdown arose amid panic buying at several petrol pumps and a shortage in the supply of LPG cylinders following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The government's statement comes on the day it slashed excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 10. Will petrol and diesel become cheaper for consumers? Also on Headlines@8, Donald Trump has once again praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The US Embassy in India…quoted Trump’s statement…saying…"Our amazing relationship with India… will be even stronger …going forward... Prime Minister Modi and I… are two people …who get things done… something that cannot be said for most”…