NEW DELHI: Opposition parties on Monday upped the ante against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for urging citizens to reduce fuel and edible oil consumption amid the ongoing West Asia crisis, claiming that fuel prices are set to rise now that assembly elections are over.This comes after PM Modi urged people to reduce edible oil usage, adopt public transport, car-pooling and electric vehicles, and shift towards natural farming practices to reduce dependence on imports and save foreign currency.
Calling it a form of “economic self-defence,” PM Modi said patriotism today meant responsible living and mindful consumption in the face of global supply chain disruptions and rising fuel prices caused by conflicts in West Asia.Who said whatRahul GandhiIn a social media post on X, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said PM Modi’s appeal exposed the limits of his decade-long tenure.“Yesterday, Modi ji asked the public to make sacrifices — don’t buy gold, don’t go abroad, use less petrol, cut down on fertiliser and cooking oil, take the metro, work from home. These aren’t sermons — they’re proof of failure,” Rahul Gandhi said.Read Also: PM Modi pushes for cut in fuel use & gold buying, favours WFH“In 12 years, he’s brought the country to such a pass that the public now has to be told what to buy, what not to buy, where to go and where not to go. Every time, they shift the responsibility onto the people just so they can wriggle out of accountability themselves. Running the country is no longer within the remit of a compromised PM,” he added.‘Until the elections, Modi ji bore your burdens’Reacting to PM Modi’s remarks, AAP MP Sanjay Singh alleged that ordinary people were being asked to bear the burden in the name of patriotism.“Dear fellow countrymen, until the elections, Modi ji bore your burdens; once the elections are over, your utility is done. Now, in the name of patriotism, get in line. Gas has become expensive; now petrol and diesel will also get costlier. In the name of patriotism, you must stop using petrol, diesel and gas; don’t buy gold; don’t even use cooking oil,” Singh said.He further alleged double standards in the government’s approach and criticised the Prime Minister’s public events and foreign visits.“But Modi ji will bring lakhs of people to his rallies in droves, go on foreign trips, burn plenty of fuel; his people won’t just buy gold — they’ll snap up the entire nation’s wealth — but you keep playing the fool. And yes, if you can’t stomach Modi ji’s inflation, the blind devotees and lapdog media will declare you a Pakistani,” the AAP leader added.Akhilesh YadavMeanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the BJP government had failed in handling both the economy and foreign policy, calling its appeal an “admission of failure”.In a post on X, Akhilesh said, “As soon as elections are over, the government suddenly remembered the ‘crisis’. In reality, there is only one crisis for the country and its name is BJP.”The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister questioned how the country would achieve the goal of becoming a “five trillion dollar economy” if the government was forced to impose several restrictions.“So many restrictions are being imposed, then how will the much-publicised ‘five trillion dollar economy’ become a reality? It appears the BJP government has completely lost control,” he said.Claiming that the rupee was weakening sharply against the dollar, Yadav alleged that the BJP government’s economic management had collapsed.“The dollar is touching the sky while the Indian rupee is sinking deeper,” he said.He also blamed the Centre’s foreign policy for the present economic situation, alleging that the BJP government had moved away from India’s traditional non-aligned approach.“The real reason behind these conditions is the BJP government abandoning the country’s traditional policy of non-alignment and aligning itself with certain groups due to specific pressures and interests,” he said.BJP hits backBJP countered Rahul Gandhi and claimed that Congress’ politics has remained confined to power and not nation-building.In a post on X, BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said Modi had not asked people to make sacrifices but urged them to make conscious choices in the national interest, such as conserving energy, promoting indigenous products, preserving foreign exchange and strengthening self-reliance.“But this is precisely Congress’ problem. Any call for public participation in the national interest sounds like ‘preaching’ to them, because their politics has remained confined to power, not nation-building,” he said.Referring to the impact of the West Asia conflict, Malviya said every global crisis affects the entire world and cited India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to counter Gandhi’s attack.“If appealing to the public to fulfil its responsibility is considered a ‘failure’, then was your beloved Nehru also a ‘compromised PM’?” he asked.“Nehru himself had said that when wars break out in other countries, their impact is felt in India in the form of inflation. Was that also an ‘excuse’ then, or was it considered responsible leadership at the time?” Malviya said.He also shared an old purported video of Nehru in which the former prime minister can be heard saying that the country is impacted when wars take place in countries such as Korea or America.He added that responsible leadership tells people the truth and appeals for collective participation in facing challenges.