Centre refutes reports on fuel price hike in India, calls them ‘mischievous and misleading’

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) Petroleum Ministry on Thursday dismissed media reports regarding petrol and diesel price increase after the assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, calling such reports as “mischievous and misleading”.

In a social media post on X, the ministry clarified that “there is no such proposal under government consideration.”

“Such news items are designed to create fear and panic amongst the citizens and are mischievous and misleading,” the ministry added.

It further stated that India remains the only country where petrol and diesel prices have not increased in the last four years.

The government and oil PSUs have taken relentless steps to insulate citizens from steep increases in international prices, it said.

The government has earlier maintained that retail fuel outlets across the country are operating normally.

Even after escalation in West Asia conflict and rise in Brent crude oil prices due to the closure of Strait of Hormuz, the fuel prices remain unchanged in India, while many countries have witnessed a jump of up to 85 per cent.

Recent industry data highlighted a sharp divergence between India and both advanced and emerging countries, where consumers have faced increases in fuel prices so far this year, reports NDTV Profit. On the diesel front, prices have witnessed a sharp rise in several countries in recent months amid geopolitical tensions.

Meanwhile, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, provided an update on LPG supplies. She said that the supply of domestic LPG is normal, and no dry-out has been reported at any distributor.

Indian-flagged crude oil tanker Desh Garima, which crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 78 2026 carrying 31 Indian seafarers, arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Global oil prices edged higher on Thursday due to a stalemate over the next round of peace talks between the United States and Iran that kept the energy artery Strait of Hormuz effectively closed.

The June contract for Brent on the Intercontinental Exchange traded at $103.35 a barrel, up around 4 per cent from the previous close. Meanwhile the June futures contract for West Texas Intermediate on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) rose 1.62 per cent to 94.47 a barrel.

—IANS

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