Mumbai, May 21 -- Even as the Maharashtra government insisted that the state has adequate fuel stocks, shortages of petrol and diesel in several districts led to long queues, protests and clashes at fuel pumps on Wednesday, including a stabbing incident in Jalgaon. Massive queues were reported outside fuel pumps across multiple districts, with many farmers waiting for hours to buy diesel for tractors to complete field preparation for the monsoon season. While the opposition slammed the state government over the situation, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed concerns about a fuel shortage and appealed to citizens not to resort to panic buying. "There is an adequate supply of petrol and diesel in Maharashtra. Panic buying disrupts the supply chain that has evolved over several years. This creates temporary shortages," Fadnavis said. An official from the state civil supplies department said Maharashtra already has sufficient stock and is continuing to receive daily supplies from refineries. "We already have adequate stock in Maharashtra and are also receiving 27,074 kilolitres of petrol and 63,440 kilolitres of diesel daily from oil refineries, which is approximately equal to daily sales. So, there is no need to worry. However, due to panic buying from people, the transport supply chain has been affected, causing trouble." However, there were several reports of long queues and violent clashes at fuel stations on Wednesday, particularly in rural parts of the state. In the Mhasavad area of Jalgaon district, a 21-year-old petrol pump employee, Tushar Gurav, was allegedly stabbed in the abdomen by two men after informing them that the outlet had run out of fuel stock. The incident was captured on CCTV footage, and police are searching for the accused, who are absconding. Gurav was admitted to a local hospital for treatment. Several videos showing similar clashes and long queues circulated widely on social media. In Buldhana, a dispute broke out after a pump employee refused to fill petrol in a bottle, leading to a physical altercation with a customer. In Washim, people waiting for hours in queues reportedly attacked each other with plastic cans brought to collect diesel. In the Parola town of Jalgaon district, people-mostly farmers-blocked a stretch of highway outside a petrol pump, according to reports. On the Buldhana-Chikhli route, vehicles, including tractors, reportedly remained queued at a fuel station for more than 12 hours. A video from Nagpur purportedly showed a police officer telling a complainant that officers could not search for a missing girl because their vehicle had no fuel due to the shortage. However, the situation remained largely normal in Mumbai, where petrol pump operators and employees said there was no visible panic buying or abrupt change in consumer behaviour after the recent fuel price hike. Tajinder Singh Lamba, owner of an Indian Oil petrol pump in Sion, said truck drivers were anxious about whether further hikes could follow and whether the increase would eventually push up prices of essential goods and transport costs. "People are concerned about how it will affect overall expenses, but there has not been any major behavioural change yet," Lamba said. Another petrol pump employee from south Mumbai, requesting anonymity, said motorists were continuing to refill fuel normally, though many expressed concern that substantial hikes could eventually alter behavioural patterns. Opposition leaders targeted the state government over the situation. NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil referred to the incidents in a post on X. "What exactly is going on? Has even the oil in the engines of the double-engine government run out?" he said. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also slammed the state government on X, saying that Maharashtra is "collapsing" and the triple-engine government-referring to BJP-led governments at the Centre, in the state and in local bodies-"has completely ground to a halt". He also said that "while the common man is struggling for a drop of fuel, the ruling party leaders are busy with propaganda of development"....