New Delhi, March 29 The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) expressed concern on Sunday over the "panic buying" of fuel and a surge in LPG cylinder bookings amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, urging people to avoid hoarding as it creates "artificial shortages".
It also called for accelerating the pace of building self-reliance in renewable energy sources to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
In a statement, SJM national co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said the sudden spike in demand for LPG cylinders and petrol is driven by panic as fuel supplies remain steady and people should rely only on verified information.
"The average daily booking of LPG cylinders, which typically ranged between 5.5 to 6 million, has suddenly surged to between 7.5 and 8.8 million per day. Similarly, there has been a significant spike in the demand for petrol.
"Although the country possesses adequate stocks of petrol, diesel and gas, and supplies continue to flow steadily due to the government's diplomatic efforts, including through key routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, panic buying is nevertheless creating artificial shortages, thereby fuelling growing anxiety among the public," he said.
The SJM cautioned that the West Asia conflict has not only impacted the prices and supply of gas, oil, fertilisers and other essential commodities, but has also provided an opportunity for unscrupulous elements to exploit the situation by hoarding these materials in anticipation of future shortages.
Calling for responsible public conduct, Mahajan appealed to citizens to refrain from spreading rumours or forwarding unverified messages related to fuel shortages.
"People should rely only on official and verified sources of information and avoid circulating unverified claims that may create panic," he said.
The senior SJM official also stressed the need to maintain social harmony and national unity during the current global crisis, cautioning that misinformation and fear-driven behaviour could aggravate the situation.
He called upon all stakeholders -- the government, industry and citizens -- to work together towards becoming self-reliant in fuel resources.
"It is our firm conviction that while global interdependence is a reality, no global upheaval should be allowed to disrupt the smooth functioning of our economy. This can only be achieved by attaining a higher degree of self-reliance.
"We must systematically reduce reliance on imported crude oil and gas by harnessing alternative sources of energy. In recent times, our country has been gradually transitioning towards electric vehicles, solar power, wind energy, nuclear power and other renewable energy sources," Mahajan said.
"Given the fact that – barring hydroelectric power generation – our reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas renders us particularly vulnerable to global shocks, there is an urgent need to accelerate the pace of building self-reliance in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and nuclear power," Mahajan further said.