Modi's Fuel, Gold Savings Advice Reflects Failure, Says Rahul Gandhi

On May 11, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks urging citizens to make sacrifices amid the West Asia conflict. Gandhi called the Prime Minister "compromised" and said his statements reflect failure. He argued that after 12 years in power, the government has reached a point where it must dictate public behavior on purchases and travel.

Modi had urged citizens to avoid buying gold, limit foreign travel, reduce petrol and fertilizer use, consume less cooking oil, use metro services, and work from home. He framed these steps as necessary to conserve foreign exchange and strengthen the economy during the crisis. The Prime Minister emphasized saving foreign exchange due to rising petrol and fertilizer prices caused by the conflict.

The Congress party responded sharply, calling Modi’s approach "shameless, reckless, and downright immoral." They accused him of shifting responsibility to citizens instead of creating contingency plans to protect the economy. The opposition argued that the government is failing to ensure energy security, even three months into the US-Iran war.

Modi suggested measures like carpooling, increased electric vehicle use, and railway parcel services to reduce fuel consumption. He also promoted natural farming and Swadeshi products to cut imports. The Prime Minister compared the current situation to the Covid-19 pandemic, urging a return to remote work and virtual meetings to save resources.