MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Monday said the BJP-led Mahayuti government should provide transparency regarding the country’s energy reserves instead of threatening citizens with legal action for allegedly spreading rumours and misinformation.
The Thackeray camp in the party's mouthpiece 'Saamana' editorial alleged that the current wave of panic reportedly originated in Gujarat, the home state of the Prime Minister and Home Minister. "Long queues stretching several kilometres have been observed at petrol pumps and gas agencies across Gujarat, with citizens attempting to stockpile fuel in blue water drums. This public anxiety is rooted in past experiences, such as Demonetisation and the COVID-19 lockdowns, where citizens in Gujarat appeared to receive information before the rest of the country. Consequently, the current rush in Gujarat has triggered a fear psychosis in Maharashtra that a lockdown is imminent, " it said.
Despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s assurances that "all is well", the ground reality suggests otherwise, as approximately 50 per cent of hotels and dhabas in Mumbai and across Maharashtra have reportedly closed due to the gas shortage. The foundry industry in Western Maharashtra has come to a standstill, while 500 tile-manufacturing companies in Morbi, Gujarat, have shut down. Some businesses have been forced to revert to using firewood and coal to maintain limited operations, claimed the editorial.