One Voice, One Vision: BJP Aranmula Gathers Around PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat in a Moment of Unity

ARANMULA, KERALAM — Sunday mornings have a certain quality to them — quieter, slower, reflective. And at the BJP Election Office in Aranmula Constituency on this particular Sunday, that reflective quality found a perfect expression.

Leaders and workers — some who had been campaigning late into the previous night, some who had driven in from distant corners of the constituency — pulled up chairs, settled in, and turned their attention to a screen. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was about to speak. And in Aranmula, the BJP was listening.

Together.

The 132nd episode of Mann Ki Baat — the Prime Minister's beloved monthly address to the nation — became on Sunday morning something more than a broadcast. In the Aranmula BJP Election Office, it became a gathering. A ritual. A moment of collective purpose that brought together Lok Sabha representatives, constituency leaders, mandal secretaries, panchayat presidents, district committee members, and the office staff who quietly keep the wheels of the election machinery turning — all under one roof, all tuned to one voice.

The Man Behind the Moment

Valluru Jayaprakash, BJP Election Incharge for Aranmula Constituency, was the driving force behind Sunday's collective viewing — and when he spoke about what Mann Ki Baat means to party workers on the ground, his words carried the conviction of someone who genuinely believes in what he is doing.

"Mann Ki Baat is Prime Minister Modi's direct conversation with every Indian citizen," Jayaprakash said, his voice warm with quiet enthusiasm. "It is a moment where the nation's leader speaks from his heart — to farmers, to students, to workers, to dreamers. When we sit together as BJP workers and listen to those words, something happens. We remember why we are here. We remember what we are fighting for."

He paused, and then added something that captured the essence of the morning perfectly.

"It energises us. Every single time."

For Jayaprakash, the collective viewing is not a ceremonial gesture or a box to be ticked on a campaign checklist. It is a genuine act of political and ideological recharging — a weekly reminder of the larger national mission that gives local electoral work its meaning and its momentum.

Around the Room

Look around the Aranmula BJP Election Office on Sunday morning and you saw the full spectrum of the party's organisational life in one compact, energised gathering.

Hedge — the Lok Sabha Prabari — brought the weight of senior leadership to the room. His presence was a quiet signal that Mann Ki Baat is not just for the grassroots. It is for everyone. Equally.

Bijju Mathew, the Aranmula Constituency Incharge, sat alongside — the man responsible for the day-to-day heartbeat of the election campaign, taking a moment of Sunday stillness before the week's campaigning resumes in earnest.

Suresh, the Aranmula Mandal Secretary, was there — the kind of party worker who knows every street, every family, and every political nuance in his area, and who carries that knowledge into every campaign interaction.

Vijay Kumar, President of Naranganam Panchayat, represented the bridge between party politics and local governance — a reminder that BJP's ambitions in Aranmula are rooted in a genuine commitment to community development and public service.

Mohan, the District Committee Member, brought the broader organisational perspective. And the office staff — the unsung heroes who answer phones, manage schedules, coordinate logistics, and keep the election office humming from morning to night — were present too, included not as an afterthought but as equal participants in the morning's shared experience.

It is that kind of inclusivity — where the senior leader and the junior office worker sit in the same room and listen to the same words — that Valluru Jayaprakash says defines the BJP's organisational culture in Aranmula.

What Mann Ki Baat Does for Workers on the Ground

Ask any BJP worker in any part of India what Mann Ki Baat means to them, and you will get a version of the same answer.

It connects. It inspires. It reminds.

In Kerala — where the BJP is working with sustained determination to build electoral credibility and voter trust in a politically competitive and ideologically diverse state — that connection carries special significance. The party is not the establishment here. It is the challenger. And challengers need fuel — the kind of fuel that comes from believing deeply in what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Mann Ki Baat provides that fuel. Week after week, episode after episode, the Prime Minister's words reach into BJP offices across Kerala and remind workers that their local efforts are part of a national story — that what they do in Aranmula matters to the larger project of building a stronger, more developed, more inclusive India.

"Every activity we undertake is part of building a genuine relationship with the people of Aranmula," Jayaprakash reflected. "Door-to-door campaigns, night outreach, constituency meetings — and yes, sitting together to listen to Mann Ki Baat. All of it is part of the same mission. All of it matters."

A Constituency Listening and Learning

The 132nd episode of Mann Ki Baat carried within it — as every episode does — the Prime Minister's reflections on the nation's journey, its achievements, its challenges, and its people. The workers gathered in Aranmula listened with attention and with the kind of focused engagement that suggests they were not merely watching a programme but absorbing a message.

In a constituency where the BJP is building electoral momentum brick by brick, conversation by conversation, and door by door — the morning's collective listening was one more brick laid, one more shared experience that binds a political family together and strengthens its collective resolve.

More Than Politics

Step back from the electoral context for a moment, and what you see in the Aranmula BJP Election Office on Sunday morning is something quite human and quite moving.

A group of people — different ages, different roles, different levels of seniority — sitting together in a room, listening to a voice they trust, and drawing strength from each other's company. In the middle of a demanding election campaign, in the heart of a politically competitive constituency, they carved out a Sunday morning hour for something that was not about tactics or targets or vote counts.

It was about values. About vision. About the quiet, sustaining power of shared belief.

And when the 132nd episode of Mann Ki Baat came to its end, and the chairs were pushed back, and the campaign day began in earnest — the men and women who filed out of the Aranmula BJP Election Office carried with them something that no campaign strategy can manufacture.

They carried purpose.

And in Aranmula, on this Sunday morning, that felt like more than enough.

The 132nd episode of Mann Ki Baat was broadcast on Sunday, March 29, 2026. The collective viewing at Aranmula BJP Election Office was organised under the leadership of Election Incharge Valluru Jayaprakash.

NEW DELHI — As the conflict in West Asia continues to send shockwaves across global markets and supply chains, India's top leadership swung into action on Friday, convening the first meeting of a specially constituted Informal Group of Ministers to assess the crisis and chart a coordinated national response.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the high-powered gathering at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi on March 28, 2026 — bringing together some of the most powerful cabinet ministers in the Modi government around a single urgent agenda: protecting India and its people from the far-reaching consequences of a conflict unfolding thousands of kilometres away.

A Cabinet of Heavy Hitters

The composition of the Informal Group of Ministers — known as the IGoM — left no doubt about the seriousness with which the government is treating the West Asia situation.

Seated around the table were Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, and Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.

It was a gathering that covered virtually every sector of the Indian economy likely to feel the impact of the West Asia conflict — from fuel and energy to food supply, aviation, and industrial chemicals. The message was clear: this government is treating the crisis as a whole-of-government challenge, not a problem to be managed by any single ministry.

Rajnath Singh Sets the Tone

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh used his opening address to set a tone of calm urgency — acknowledging the seriousness of the situation while projecting confidence in India's ability to navigate it.

He emphasised the need for a proactive, coordinated, and forward-looking approach — stressing that vigilance must be maintained as the situation in West Asia continues to evolve in unpredictable ways. His guidance to the group was specific and demanding: adopt a medium to long-term preparedness approach, maintain high-level coordination across ministries, and ensure swift decision-making when the situation demands it.

"All policy efforts should remain in synergy and be implemented in a time-bound manner," Singh told the assembled ministers — a directive that reflects the government's awareness that fragmented or delayed responses could amplify the impact of an already serious global disruption.

In a post on X following the meeting, the Defence Minister made the government's commitment explicit and personal. "The Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to safeguarding the Indian people from any impact of the conflict," he wrote — words clearly intended to reassure a public already anxious about rising fuel prices, rumours of shortages, and the spectre of broader economic disruption.

Seven Empowered Groups Brief the Ministers

The meeting was not a general discussion. It was a structured, data-driven review of India's sectoral vulnerabilities and the policy measures already deployed to address them.

Seven Empowered Groups of Secretaries — senior bureaucrats tasked with monitoring specific sectors — made detailed presentations to the IGoM, outlining the key issues identified in their respective areas and the concrete steps already taken to manage the situation.

The breadth of the presentations underscored the multi-dimensional nature of the challenge. The West Asia conflict touches virtually every pillar of the Indian economy — oil and gas supplies, fertilizer imports, shipping routes, aviation connectivity, food prices, and industrial supply chains. Each Empowered Group was directed to continue close monitoring of developments and to maintain the high-level coordination that the current moment demands.

Rajnath Singh called for constructive inputs from all ministers present — a signal that the IGoM intends to function as a genuine deliberative body, drawing on the expertise and perspective of each ministry rather than operating as a top-down directive mechanism.

States and Districts Brought Into the Loop

One of the most significant decisions to emerge from Saturday's meeting was the IGoM's reaffirmation of the critical importance of coordination with state governments and district administrations.

The crisis, the group recognised, will ultimately be felt not in the corridors of Kartavya Bhawan but in petrol stations, kitchens, hospital supply chains, and local markets across India's cities, towns, and villages. Effective management of the situation therefore requires that state and district administrations are kept fully informed, properly equipped, and capable of responding swiftly to developments on the ground.

The need for timely communication of key policy initiatives to the public was also underscored — a recognition that how the government communicates during a crisis can be as important as what it actually does.

Declaring War on Rumours and Fake News

Perhaps the most operationally significant directive to emerge from Saturday's meeting was a direct instruction to all ministries and departments regarding the management of information.

Every ministry and department has been directed to share relevant information, developments, and advisories related to the ongoing West Asia situation through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's WhatsApp Channel — creating a single, authoritative, government-verified stream of information accessible to citizens across the country.

The objective is twofold: to ensure that accurate, timely information reaches the public, and to actively counter the rumours, misinformation, and fake news that have already begun to circulate on social media — causing panic buying at petrol pumps, anxiety over LPG supplies, and confusion over government policy.

The directive reflects a hard lesson that governments around the world have learned from recent crises: in the age of social media, the information battle can be as consequential as the policy battle. A government that wins on policy but loses on communication will still face a crisis of public confidence.

India's Strategic Posture

Saturday's IGoM meeting represents more than a bureaucratic response to a distant conflict. It represents a deliberate strategic posture — one that says India is watching, India is prepared, and India will act to protect its people and its economy from shocks that originate beyond its borders but land within them.

The formation of the IGoM itself — bringing together defence, finance, energy, food, aviation, and science ministers under a single coordinating umbrella — reflects a sophisticated understanding of how modern conflicts cascade through interconnected global systems. The West Asia conflict is not just a military event. It is an energy event, a supply chain event, a food security event, and a financial market event — all simultaneously.

India's response, Saturday's meeting signalled, will be equally multi-dimensional.

With Prime Minister Modi personally engaged in monitoring the situation, and a cabinet-level group now meeting regularly to track developments and coordinate responses, the government is positioning itself to stay ahead of the curve — rather than react to it.

The first IGoM meeting is done. It will not be the last.

The Informal Group of Ministers on West Asia was constituted to monitor the evolving situation and recommend proactive measures. Further meetings are expected as the situation develops.

NEW DELHI — In the heart of one of India's oldest and most celebrated universities, something remarkable happened on Saturday evening.

A Union Minister stood before a room full of young students from India's Northeast — young men and women who have travelled thousands of kilometres from Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, and Sikkim to study in the capital — and told them something they perhaps needed to hear more than anything else.

Not that the Northeast is important. Not that the Northeast has potential. But that the Northeast is ready. Ready to lead. Ready to drive. Ready to shape the future of a nation of 1.4 billion people.

The occasion was NEtym 2026 — the 15th edition of the annual cultural festival of the Northeast Cell at Hindu College, University of Delhi. The speaker was Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia. And the message he delivered was as bold as it was overdue.

Eight States. One Extraordinary Potential.

Scindia did not come to Hindu College with platitudes. He came with a vision — sharp, specific, and unapologetic in its ambition.

"Eight states, one extraordinary potential," he declared. "The Northeast is India's gateway to the Global South."

It is a framing that redefines the region entirely — not as a peripheral corner of the subcontinent requiring charity and attention, but as a strategic powerhouse sitting at the intersection of South Asia and Southeast Asia, uniquely positioned to drive economic and cultural exchange on a global scale.

For a region that has spent decades being described primarily through the lens of its challenges, Saturday's address offered something different and something powerful — a lens of opportunity.

The Numbers That Demand Attention

Scindia backed his vision with a statistic that stops you in your tracks.

The Northeast, he pointed out, has an average literacy rate of nearly 93 percent — a figure that outpaces the national average and places the region among India's most educated populations. In a knowledge economy where human capital is the ultimate competitive advantage, the Northeast is not behind. In critical ways, it is ahead.

"The region's youth must lead India's growth story across sectors," Scindia said — and given the literacy numbers, it was not an empty exhortation. It was a statement grounded in demographic reality.

Hindu College itself provided a fitting backdrop for the message. As the institution approaches its 125th year, it stands as one of India's great centres of learning — and on Saturday, it was filled with the energy of young people from the Northeast who are very much part of that tradition.

A Minister Who Has Fallen in Love With a Region

What made Scindia's address distinctive was not just its content but its evident personal sincerity.

The minister spoke of his familial ties to the Northeast. He described his frequent visits to all eight states — visits that he said continue to inspire and energise his vision for the region's development. He recalled cultural performances from Assam that left him "mantramugdh" — spellbound — describing how every gesture and movement in the region's classical and folk traditions carries within it generations of accumulated meaning and beauty.

He paid tribute to Bhupen Hazarika — the legendary musician and cultural icon whose voice became the soul of the Brahmaputra — and to Zubeen Garg, the contemporary superstar who carries that tradition forward. In doing so, Scindia acknowledged something that policy documents rarely capture: that the Northeast is not just a geographical entity or an economic opportunity. It is a civilisation — deep, layered, and irreplaceable.

"The Northeast remains a repository of unparalleled artistic and cultural wealth," he said. In the room, heads nodded. These students knew it. They had always known it. It mattered, enormously, to hear it said from a national platform.

From Intent to Implementation: The Programmes Making a Difference

Scindia did not limit himself to inspiration. He came with specifics — three flagship programmes that represent the government's concrete commitment to unlocking the Northeast's potential.

The NE SPARKS Programme — implemented in partnership with ISRO — is already changing lives. Each year, 800 students, 100 from each of the eight Northeastern states, gain direct exposure to space science and cutting-edge technology. Eight batches have already completed the programme. In a region where access to advanced scientific education has historically been limited, SPARKS is opening doors that previous generations could not have imagined.

The Ashtalakshmi Darshan Programme takes a different but equally powerful approach — bringing students from the Northeast into meaningful interaction with students from other parts of India, building the human connections that ultimately hold a diverse nation together. Currently covering 1,280 students across 32 batches, the programme is set to scale dramatically — reaching 8,000 students by 2030.

And then there is the Advancing NER Portal — scheduled for launch in April 2026 — perhaps the most ambitious of the three. A single digital platform integrated with the National Career Service, it will provide access to over 1,000 job opportunities, more than 300 career pathways, over 200 entrance examinations, 3,000-plus courses within the Northeast itself, and connections to more than 800 national institutions. For a young person in Kohima or Itanagar trying to navigate the overwhelming complexity of career options and educational pathways, the portal promises to be transformative.

"Under Prime Minister Modi," Scindia said, "the approach to the Northeast has transitioned from intent to implementation. Opportunity must be defined by access and inclusion — not geography."

What the Northeast Is Becoming

Scindia closed his address with a challenge — and an invitation.

"The conversation must move," he said, "from what the Northeast is to what it is becoming — and what its young people are enabling it to become."

It is a subtle but significant shift in framing. The Northeast has spent too long being defined by what it was — by conflict, by remoteness, by marginalisation. The story that is emerging — of a region with 93 percent literacy, of students topping national examinations, of cricket teams winning Ranji Trophies, of young people from Pulwama and Kupwara visiting Parliament and feeling at home — is a different story entirely.

NEtym 2026, Scindia said, is not merely a cultural festival. It is "a powerful expression of identity, aspiration, and India's collective journey towards a Viksit Bharat."

In the room at Hindu College on Saturday evening — filled with music, dance, colour, and the electric energy of young people celebrating who they are and where they come from — that description felt exactly right.

The Northeast is not waiting to be discovered. It is already arriving. And on Saturday night in Delhi, it arrived in style.

NEtym 2026 was organised by the Northeast Cell of Hindu College, University of Delhi. The event featured cultural performances from across all eight Northeastern states.

NEW DELHI — In a moment that captured the quiet but profound transformation underway in Jammu & Kashmir, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh sat face to face with young men and women from Pulwama, Bandipora, Anantnag, and Kupwara on Saturday — districts that once made headlines for conflict and unrest — and listened as they spoke confidently about their dreams, their ambitions, and their place in the story of modern India.

The occasion was the concluding interactive session of the 6th Kashmir Youth Exchange Programme — "Watan Ko Jaano" — organised by My Bharat under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs. And the message that emerged from the gathering was as significant as it was striking: Jammu and Kashmir's youth are no longer on the margins. They are moving — confidently, purposefully, and with growing momentum — toward the centre of national life.

Eleven Years of Transformation

Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and also holding charge of the PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, used the platform to reflect on what he described as a fundamental shift in the trajectory of J&K's youth over the past eleven years.

"Over the last eleven years, the Modi Government has enabled the mainstreaming of youth from Jammu and Kashmir," the minister said, "which has in turn raised their level of self-confidence and aspiration."

The evidence, he argued, is visible and measurable. Young people from J&K are now appearing — and excelling — in civil services examinations and other highly competitive national tests. They are entering sectors like tourism, hospitality, and aviation. They are building careers and connections across the country that would have been unthinkable for many in the region just a decade ago.

"Earlier, many young people from the region were hesitant to step beyond their immediate surroundings," Dr. Jitendra Singh observed. "Today, they are confidently engaging with opportunities across the country."

From the Margins to the Mainstream

The minister traced this transformation back to a specific moment — Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, articulated in 2014, to bring regions that had long remained on the periphery of India's development story — Jammu and Kashmir and the North East — firmly into the national mainstream.

Sustained policy support, targeted interventions, and a deliberate focus on youth development have, Dr. Jitendra Singh argued, begun to bear tangible fruit. The change is not merely statistical. It is visible in the faces and voices of the young people who gathered for Saturday's programme — students from some of J&K's most historically troubled districts, speaking with a confidence and openness that reflects a region in the process of genuine transformation.

Voices From the Ground

The most powerful moments of Saturday's session came not from the minister's podium but from the participants themselves.

Young men and women from Pulwama, Bandipora, Anantnag, and Kupwara shared their experiences of visiting national institutions — Parliament, Legislative Assemblies, and Rashtrapati Bhavan — describing how exposure to these symbols of Indian democracy has deepened their sense of belonging and participation in the nation's civic life.

Several students spoke of a growing sense of trust and openness — a willingness among J&K's youth to explore opportunities beyond the region, to engage with different cultures and communities, and to build connections that transcend geographical and historical boundaries.

"Programmes like this are helping youth from Jammu and Kashmir move beyond earlier limitations," participants said, describing how the exchange has broadened their horizons and strengthened their identity as citizens of a larger, shared nation.

Sports, Infrastructure, and the Road Ahead

The session was not limited to celebration. Participants raised practical and pressing concerns — calling for stronger sports infrastructure, better access to coaching facilities, and improved resources for local talent in Jammu and Kashmir.

Dr. Jitendra Singh acknowledged these gaps and pointed to progress already underway. The ecosystem for sports and youth development in J&K, he said, is steadily improving — with greater transparency in selection processes and increased investment in infrastructure. As a symbol of what is possible, he cited the recent Ranji Trophy victory by the Jammu and Kashmir cricket team — a landmark achievement that captured the imagination of a region hungry for stories of success on the national stage.

Participants also offered constructive suggestions on improving logistical arrangements and deepening structured interaction with students from other parts of India through institutional visits and peer engagement. The minister received these inputs positively, indicating they would help shape and strengthen future editions of the programme.

A Larger Mission

Dr. Jitendra Singh placed Saturday's programme within what he described as a broader national commitment — the determination to ensure that no region and no section of Indian society is left behind in the country's development journey.

"The transformation underway in Jammu and Kashmir is part of a larger effort," he said. "The increasing participation of youth from J&K in national life is a clear indication of this shift. Their growing confidence and aspirations will play an important role in shaping India's future."

It is a vision of inclusion — of a Viksit Bharat, a developed India, that draws its strength from every corner of the country, including those corners that history has treated most harshly.

A Celebration of Heritage and Identity

The programme concluded on a note of cultural pride, with participants offering performances that showcased the rich and diverse heritage of Jammu and Kashmir — music, dance, and artistic expression that reminded a national audience of the beauty and depth of a region too often defined only by its conflicts.

It was a fitting end to a programme built on a simple but powerful idea: that when young people from different parts of India meet, talk, and share — the nation grows stronger, more connected, and more whole.

For the young men and women of Pulwama, Bandipora, Anantnag, and Kupwara who gathered in New Delhi on Saturday, "Watan Ko Jaano" — Know Your Nation — was more than a programme title.

It was a promise. And on the evidence of Saturday's session, one that is being kept.

The 6th Kashmir Youth Exchange Programme was organised by My Bharat under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

HYDERABAD — Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Telangana state government, demanding an immediate reduction in Value Added Tax on petrol and diesel — pointing out that Telangana levies the highest VAT on fuel anywhere in the country, even as the central government moves decisively to shield citizens from rising oil prices triggered by the Israel-America-Iran war.

Addressing a press conference at CGI Towers in Hyderabad, Kishan Reddy outlined the measures taken by the central government to ensure adequate supplies of LPG, petrol, and diesel across Telangana — while simultaneously putting the state government firmly on the spot over its fuel tax policy.

Telangana Charges Highest VAT in India

The numbers Kishan Reddy placed before the public were stark and difficult to dispute.

Telangana has been levying VAT at 35.20 percent on petrol and diesel — the highest rate in the entire country — for the past twelve consecutive years. Not once in that period, the minister pointed out, has the state government seen fit to reduce this burden on its citizens by even a single paisa.

The contrast with neighbouring states makes the figure even harder to justify. Andhra Pradesh levies VAT at 31 percent. Karnataka charges 29 percent. Maharashtra imposes just 26 percent. Yet Telangana — governed first by the BRS and now by the Congress — has maintained its 35.20 percent rate without revision.

"Why is Telangana levying 35.20 percent when neighbouring states charge significantly less?" Kishan Reddy demanded. "Why has this not been reduced? The Congress party beats the drum about KCR's people-friendly governance — but in twelve years, not one paisa of VAT has been cut. Reduce it now."

The minister's challenge was direct and unambiguous — and it placed the Telangana government in an uncomfortable position at a time when fuel prices are already under pressure from global conflict.

Centre Acts to Cushion Global Oil Price Shock

Kishan Reddy made clear that the central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has moved proactively to protect Indian citizens from the price shocks rippling out of the Middle East conflict.

With the Israel-America-Iran war disrupting global oil markets and pushing crude prices upward, the central government has reduced excise duty on petrol and diesel — a direct intervention designed to prevent pump prices from spiralling out of control.

The minister urged state governments across the country to follow the centre's lead by cutting their own VAT rates — reducing the cumulative tax burden on fuel and passing the benefit directly to consumers. Telangana, he made clear, has the most room to move — and the most obligation to act.

Ample Stocks — No Need for Panic

Turning to address growing public anxiety over fuel availability, Kishan Reddy was reassuring and categorical.

Telangana has abundant stocks of LPG, petrol, and diesel, he said. There is no shortage. There is no crisis. And there is absolutely no reason for citizens to panic.

Oil companies are currently providing a three-day credit facility to petrol and gas agencies — a measure designed to ensure smooth and uninterrupted supply across the state. The pipeline of fuel into Telangana remains fully functional, and the central government is working actively to ensure that oil and gas supplies reach India on schedule despite the turbulence in global markets.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kishan Reddy added, is personally monitoring the situation — a signal of the seriousness with which the central government is treating the issue.

The minister also urged citizens to use LPG, petrol, and diesel conservatively and responsibly during this period of global uncertainty — a call for collective prudence rather than panic buying.

No Lockdown — Stop the Rumours

Kishan Reddy used the press conference to address one of the most damaging pieces of misinformation currently circulating on social media — the claim that India is preparing to impose a fresh lockdown.

The rumour, he said, originated from a misreading and misrepresentation of Prime Minister Modi's recent remarks in the Lok Sabha. Social media users have uploaded thousands of posts falsely claiming that a lockdown is imminent — posts that have spread rapidly and caused unnecessary alarm among the public.

"Do not believe these rumours," Kishan Reddy said firmly. "There is no lockdown coming. The Prime Minister's words have been taken completely out of context and twisted beyond recognition."

Arrest Those Spreading Rumours

The minister reserved his sharpest words for those deliberately spreading false information on social media — and he had a specific request for Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

It is social media videos and fake news posts, Kishan Reddy argued, that have caused vehicle owners to queue up at petrol stations in panic — creating artificial demand and long lines at pumps that would otherwise be functioning normally. The same misinformation has created what he described as a "fire in kitchens" over LPG cylinder availability — panicking households into hoarding behaviour that serves no one.

"We have requested Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to arrest those who are creating and spreading rumours on social media," Kishan Reddy said — a demand that underscores the seriousness with which authorities are treating the misinformation problem.

Industry Representatives Present

The press conference brought together senior officials from India's major oil marketing companies alongside representatives of Telangana's petroleum and LPG dealer communities.

Present at the event were Indian Oil Corporation Executive Director Piyush Mittal, BPCL Chief General Manager (Retail) Nitish Selukar, HPCL Chief General Manager (Retail) Sushil Kumar Ray, Telangana Petroleum Dealers Association President Amarendra Reddy, and State LPG Owners Association President Jaganmohan Reddy, along with other senior officials.

Their collective presence at the press conference was itself a message — that the fuel supply chain in Telangana, from the national oil companies down to the local dealer level, is functioning normally and is committed to meeting public demand.

The Political Subtext

Saturday's press conference was simultaneously a public reassurance exercise and a pointed political attack — and Kishan Reddy made no attempt to disguise either dimension.

By highlighting Telangana's 35.20 percent VAT rate and the state government's twelve-year failure to reduce it — under both BRS and Congress administrations — the Union Minister placed a clear political marker. At a time when global oil prices are rising and the central government is cutting excise duty to protect consumers, Telangana's continued imposition of the country's highest fuel VAT becomes an increasingly difficult position to defend.

The ball, Kishan Reddy made abundantly clear, is now firmly in the Telangana government's court.

The Telangana state government had not responded to Minister Kishan Reddy's statements at the time of publication. This report will be updated as further developments emerge.