NEW DELHI, MAY 11 (PTI): Opposition leaders on Monday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he appealed for judicious use of fuel, postponing gold purchases and avoiding unnecessary foreign travel to conserve foreign exchange amid the West Asia crisis. They accused the government of economic mismanagement and called Modi a “compromised PM”.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said Modi’s remarks reflected the government’s failure. “These are not words of counsel; they are evidence of failure,” Gandhi said, alleging the Centre repeatedly shifted responsibility onto citizens to escape accountability. He added that the “compromised PM is no longer capable of running the country”. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said people were already burdened by hardship while the prime minister was lecturing them on saving resources. He questioned why Modi remained occupied with election campaigns and roadshows and urged him not to shift the burden of “12 years of failures” onto ordinary Indians.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Modi’s “unexpected pleas” suggested tougher austerity measures might follow.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav described the appeal as an “admission of failure” by a government that had mishandled both the economy and foreign policy. In a post on X, he said the government remembered the “crisis” only after elections and claimed “the only crisis for the country is BJP”.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi alleged the austerity measures were the outcome of election-driven governance.
The NCP (SP) said the BJP should first “lead by example” before asking citizens to reduce consumption and travel. CPIM general secretary MA Baby criticised Modi’s appeal, saying it was ironic that the prime minister was urging austerity on the public. AAP MP Sanjay Singh said Modi should stop roadshows, public rallies and foreign trips if the aim was to save fuel.
Defending the PM, Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the appeal was aimed at inspiring people to conserve fuel in the larger national interest, while BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said the government was merely advising caution during a crisis.
