India now sources about 70 per cent of its crude oil imports from routes that do not pass through the Strait of Hormuz, petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri told Parliament on Thursday, adding that the country’s crude supply remains secure.
India's petrol and diesel availability is also fully secure and liquefied natural gas cargoes are arriving almost daily through alternative routes, he said.
The panic over cooking gas supplies is triggered by consumer anxiety rather than a supply shortage, Hardeep added.
The government also said that 40,000 kilolitres of additional kerosene have been allocated to states as an alternative fuel to LPG.
Some more commercial LPG cylinders will be released to beneficiaries identified by state governments, said Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.
She added that the crude oil supply situation in the country is comfortable and there has been no dry out at any of the 1 lakh petrol pumps.
On Thursday morning, leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid concerns over a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders, saying the PM is asking people not to panic while he himself is “panicked for completely different reasons”.
Rahul alleged that Modi was worried about the Epstein files issue and the Adani case in the United States.
“The PM is saying there is no need to panic, but the PM himself has panicked for completely different reasons... he is panicked because of Epstein, he is panicked because of the Adani case, he is not able to come inside the House,” the Congress MP said.
Several Opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex over the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders and demanded answers from the government.
Puri’s remarks come amid disruptions to global energy flows caused by tensions in West Asia and concerns over shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point for global crude supplies.
The oil minister's comments come even as long queues were seen across the country outside petrol pumps and LPG distribution centres, while restaurants and hotels have reported disruptions to operations, including government canteens.
Panic buying by consumers in major cities and towns across states such as Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal has been reported since Monday.
Long queues of motorists were seen outside petrol stations across Tamil Nadu on Thursday as panic buying took hold of several cities, triggered by a worsening shortage of commercial LPG that has already forced numerous eateries to shut down or drastically reduce their menus.
While oil marketing companies and state government officials have assured the public that there is no shortage of petrol or diesel, the sight of dry outlets in the commercial gas sector has sparked widespread anxiety.
Residents in Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai reported waiting for over 45 minutes to fill their vehicle tanks, with some carrying additional containers despite regulations against the practice.
The LPG crunch has also triggered protests in several state Assemblies, with opposition parties demanding government intervention to stabilise supplies and curb black marketing.
In Odisha, proceedings in the state Assembly were disrupted as BJD lawmakers protested over alleged shortages of cooking gas and rising public anxiety, forcing adjournment of the House during the day.
Reports of panic buying have also pushed up bookings at gas agencies across several cities, with distributors struggling to manage the surge in demand.
Officials in multiple states said rumours of shortages and disruptions to commercial cylinder supplies have led to long queues at LPG agencies and a sharp rise in bookings, even though authorities maintain that domestic supplies remain adequate.