Govt denies viral claims of petrol, diesel price hike. (Photo: AI)
The claim about the hike in petrol and diesel prices that caused a ruckus on social media has been labelled as fake by government. The claim was that a notification for increasing the price of petrol and diesel has been passed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The notification said that the price of petrol would be increased by ₹10 per litre and diesel by ₹12.50 per litre. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) fact-check unit has come forward and said the order is fake. The fact-check unit has also urged people not to spread fake news. The government says people should only refer to official Government sources.
The post said the price of petrol would be increased by ₹10 per litre and diesel by ₹12.50 per litre. The post also said the hike in prices was norm justified due to global crude oil price hikes and under-recoveries incurred by the oil marketing companies, PTI reported.
The pressing information bureau fact-check unit said ‘the order is fake. The Government of India has not passed any such notification’. The government officials has also told people to fact check such claims from official government sources and report the suspicious posts.
No, the government has clarified that there are no plans to hike petrol or diesel rates. A top-level official from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that there was no decision to increase fuel prices and categorically rejected all rumours about a fuel price hike.
Officials categorically denied rumours that fuel prices would rise after elections, especially in West Bengal. They said that linking elections to fuel price decisions was misinformation and baseless.
The fake order tried to look realistic by giving specific figures. It said that as on April 1, 2026, oil marketing companies were losing ₹24.40 per litre on petrol and ₹104.99 on diesel. It also named state-run Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum to make it look more real.
The prices of retail fuels in India have not been changed since early April 2022. In that time, state-run oil companies have taken on the swings in crude oil prices, offsetting profits when prices were low with losses when crude oil prices went up.
Fuel price is a politically sensitive topic and is often associated with inflation and public opinion. During an election season or in a time of global turmoil, like recent hikes in crude oil prices, due to geopolitical tensions, misinformation spreads fast.
The government has urged citizens to check any such claims through official sources only, like PIB Fact Check. Citizens are also asked to report any dubious messages over WhatsApp or email so that the spread of such misinformation can be halted.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience reporting on Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes journalism plays a crucial role in amplifying unheard voices and bringing attention to issues that truly matter. Sofia has contributed articles to The New Indian Express, Youth Ki Awaaz, and Maktoob Media. She is also a recipient of the 2025 Laadli Media Awards for gender sensitivity. Beyond the newsroom, she is a music enthusiast who enjoys singing. Connect with Sofia on X: https://x.com/SBCism
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