The war between Israel, Iran, and America, along with the situation in the Middle East, has exposed the claims of the Indian government. Just like the lines during demonetization and the oxygen shortage during Covid, the country is once again seen standing in long lines for gas cylinders.
SNPNEWS.IN News (Gurmail Kamboj): Since the very first day of the war that began on February 28 between America, Israel, and Iran, there were warnings of potential disruptions in the supply of petrol, diesel, and cooking gas in India. However, the central government, oil companies, and the BJP repeatedly denied this, claiming that the country had stockpiles sufficient to meet energy needs for nearly 50 days.
But just 7-8 days into the Middle East war, these hollow claims of the central government have been exposed, as (Delhi, Lucknow, Pune, Noida, and Bhubaneswar) LPG agencies are now seeing long lines of people (similar to the bank lines for exchanging notes after demonetization on November 8, 2016, when lakhs stood in queues—some even died—and the long lines outside hospitals for oxygen cylinders during Covid from March 24 to April 14, 2020).
Due to the halt in oil and LNG gas production in Middle Eastern countries, Israel’s targeting of Iran’s oil depots and refineries in retaliation, and Iran’s attacks on refineries in Arab countries along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the second week, the problem of cooking gas has started emerging in the country. As a result, on March 5, the central government ordered refineries to increase production and ensure the supply of domestic cooking gas.
Amid government claims, on March 10, the central government decided to invoke ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) and made changes to the necessary rules for cooking gas supply, making it almost clear that a large-scale shortage of LPG was imminent in the country. After the supply of commercial gas was halted, hotels and restaurants across the country, including in Mumbai and Delhi, are shutting down. The situation for domestic gas supply is extremely worrying. People are being forced to buy black-market LPG cylinders.
From several states in the country, long lines of people are seen at gas agency godowns for domestic gas cylinders, exposing the government’s hollow claims (reminiscent of the lakhs who stood in bank lines after demonetization on November 8, 2016, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and the long lines at hospitals during Covid due to oxygen shortage). These lines are sufficient to highlight the government’s hollow claim of making the country a “Vishwa Guru” (world leader) and the tragedy faced by the people.
Additionally, the country’s backbone—the agriculture sector—is not untouched by this war. Urea supply across the country is being halted or affected. Several urea-producing plants in the country have been shut down due to gas shortage. Moreover, there are fears of a shortage of DAP fertilizer in the coming time, of which the country exports a large portion.
Read it: India Imposes ESMA, Oil and Gas Supply Disrupted in Many Countries
Opposition leaders have targeted the Modi government.
Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav said that “the BJP’s ‘achhe din’ (good days) cylinders have run out,” and people are standing in lines due to the shortage.
The Congress linked this to the lines during demonetization (2016) and Covid, saying “the country is standing in lines again” and that America’s decision on India’s oil purchases has been affected.
AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal said that due to the LPG shortage, restaurants and hotels closing could lead to 1 crore (10 million) people becoming unemployed.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also targeted the center, saying the government has failed to ensure oil and gas reserves.
On March 11, 2026, in a joint inter-ministerial briefing and press conference in New Delhi, Joint Secretary Sujata Sharma (Marketing and Oil Refinery) from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) and the central government stated that all states and UTs have been instructed to monitor LPG supply daily, take strict action against hoarding/black marketing, stop rumors, and maintain law and order. The booking interval has been increased from 21 to 25 days to curb panic buying.
She said priority is being given to domestic and essential sectors (hospitals, educational institutions, CNG/PNG). A 3-member committee has been formed for hotels, restaurants, and other commercial users to hear their complaints and balance supply.
Central Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and other officials said energy supply is secure, and people should conserve energy and not panic. India welcomes the IEA’s emergency oil stock release and is ready to cooperate with the global market.