‘Everyone believes rumours’: Omar Abdullah warns of petrol pump shutdown over panic queues | India News
New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah It warned against panic buying fuel on Thursday, warning that petrol pumps could be closed for days if people flock to fuel stations based on rumours.Reacting to reports of long queues at fuel outlets, Abdullah said there was no shortage of petrol, diesel or LPG in the union territory and urged residents to avoid “camping outside petrol pumps”.“My sincere request is that you stop queuing up unnecessarily, otherwise I will be forced to shut down all petrol pumps for the next few days,” he said, expressing concern over what he described as rumour-driven panic.The Chief Minister said that a recent official review confirmed adequate availability of fuel and cooking gas and the situation remained unchanged. “It is sad that when the government talks, no one listens, but everyone believes rumours,” he added.Abdullah also clarified that no directive has been issued to restrict fuel consumption and appealed to the public to rely on official communications rather than unverified social media posts.He said he will attend a virtual meeting of chief ministers convened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to review preparedness in the context of the ongoing Middle East situation.Authorities urged citizens to maintain normal consumption patterns, warning that panic buying itself could disrupt the supply chain despite adequate stock availability.
