Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership for successfully navigating two significant global energy crises while keeping fuel prices stable. In an interview with CNN-News18, Puri noted that since the last fuel price hike in February 2022, the government has worked to lower prices, aided by Modi's diplomatic outreach and energy diversification strategy. Currently, India imports energy from 41 countries, which has helped mitigate the impact of geopolitical disruptions, such as those stemming from the Ukraine-Russia conflict and the Iran-US-Israel war. Puri also criticized opposition parties for their inconsistent stances on fuel pricing, pointing out that state taxes significantly influence retail rates. He asserted that India has maintained energy sovereignty and insulated consumers from politically driven pricing decisions, highlighting that fuel prices remained stable despite various elections, including the 2024 general elections.