Did Centre Hike Petrol and Diesel Prices During Final Hours of West Bengal Election? Govt Debunks Fake Viral Order
The Ministry of Petroleum and PIB have dismissed a viral social media order claiming that the Centre hiked petrol and diesel prices by INR 10 and INR 12.50 during the final hours of assembly elections in West Bengal. Officials labelled the document 'fake', clarifying that no such hike has been sanctioned. The public is urged to verify fuel updates only through official government channels.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has officially dismissed a document (order) circulating on social media that claimed a substantial increase in the prices of petrol and diesel. The viral "order", which suggested a price hike of INR 10 per litre for petrol and INR 12.50 per litre for diesel by the Centre during the final hours of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, was declared "fake" and "baseless" by the government on Wednesday, April 29. Officials confirmed that no such decision has been made and urged the public to rely only on official communications for fuel pricing updates.
Origins of the Viral Claim of Petrol and Diesel Price Hike
The misinformation gained traction on Wednesday after a letter, styled to look like an official government notification, began spreading across platforms like WhatsApp and X (formerly Twitter). The document was shared with the alleged claim that the central government had sanctioned a significant upward revision of retail fuel prices to take immediate effect. West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 Phase 2 Voting: Turnout Reaches 39.97% by 11 AM Across 142 Seats, Purba Bardhaman Leads at 44.50%.
Fake Order of Petrol and Diesel Price Hike Shared by Nilanjan Das
The claim prompted concern among consumers and sparked political reactions. Notably, Nilanjan Das of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) shared the document on X, questioning the timing and impact of the purported hike on the general public. "Voting is still going on and the shameless, anti-people @narendramodi government has brazenly hiked petrol price by ₹10 and diesel price by ₹12.50," his post read.
PIB Says Petrol and Diesel Price Hike Order Is Fake
🚨FAKE NEWS!
An order circulating on social media claims to be issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, stating that petrol and diesel prices have been increased by ₹10 and ₹12.50, respectively.#PIBFactCheck:
❌ This order is #FAKE .
✅ The Government of India… pic.twitter.com/tMmJa0Y4qA
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) April 29, 2026
Official Clarification and Fact-Check by PIB
The government moved quickly to contain the spread of the misinformation. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit issued a public alert, explicitly labelling the circulating document as fraudulent. "The Government of India has NOT issued any such Order," PIB said. It further asked people to verify such news only through official government sources. "This order is #FAKE," the post read. Petrol Price Today, March 29, 2026: Check Petrol Rates in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Other Cities.
Ministry officials reiterated that fuel pricing in India is governed by a market-linked mechanism, and any major policy shift regarding pricing or taxation would be announced through verified government channels and official gazette notifications. Hence, the alleged claim that petrol and diesel prices have been increased by INR 10 and INR 12.50 is not true. As clarified by PIB, the order going viral on social media is fake.
Fact check
Narendra Modi government has hiked petrol price by INR 10 and diesel price by INR 12.50.
PIB said that the order stating petrol and diesel prices have been increased by INR 10 and INR12.50 is fake.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 29, 2026 04:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
