Mumbai: Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal on Sunday for economic restraint amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, Maharashtra Opposition leaders Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress and Rohit Pawar of the NCP (SP) on Monday criticised the timing of the remarks, questioning why calls for “sacrifice” are made only after elections conclude. State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said the Prime Minister should himself lead by example in the national interest and move towards “Vanaprastha Ashram”.
Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said that until elections in five states were over, the issue of war was ignored, but now that the polls are done, the Prime Minister is urging citizens to make “sacrifices”.
“Even during the 2008 global recession, India remained unaffected while the rest of the world struggled. Today, when the government claims India is becoming a global superpower, common people are being told to make sacrifices. Those who came to power in 2014 promising ‘achche din’ are now asking people to reduce the use of petrol and diesel, avoid buying gold, and cut down on cooking oil. Government policies are damaging the country, but the burden is being placed on ordinary citizens,” Mr. Wadettiwar said.
The Congress state president further said that while countries around the world were planning and preparing for possible crises, “propaganda minister” Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party were busy only with elections, advertisements, communalism, and politics of hatred. He alleged that the citizens are now paying a heavy price for Mr. Modi’s negligence, arrogance, and whimsical style of governance.
“The country is facing a severe shortage of fuel and LPG gas, inflation has broken the back of the common man, and gold and silver have gone beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. The economy is in dire condition, yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains occupied with publicity, photoshoots, and event management. The economy was ruined for the sake of winning elections, and now the same people are being lectured while Mr. Modi himself travels with convoys of 40-50 vehicles. This is what happens when a country lacks a leader with vision,” Mr. Sapkal said.
Criticising the Centre, Rohit Pawar said that while the Prime Minister’s advice was correct in principle, its implementation should begin with the Union government and BJP-ruled states. He also expressed apprehension that the appeal for “austerity” could signal future hikes in fuel prices.
“We have seen in the past that fuel prices go up after elections,” Mr. Pawar said.
Defending the Prime Minister’s remarks, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the appeal was a strategic move aimed at conserving foreign exchange. He said that despite global instability, India continues to receive a steady supply of petrol, diesel and cooking gas because of Mr. Modi’s leadership.
“While the Prime Minister has successfully insulated India from immediate supply disruptions, neighbouring countries are already facing severe shortages of oil and gas, along with rising prices. If we fail to understand the seriousness of the situation and do not use resources judiciously, we too may face scarcity,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
