Rahul Gandhi Slams PM Modi Over Call to Reduce Fuel Use and Delay Gold Purchases
Congress leaders say the Prime Minister’s appeal reflects the government’s failure to handle the growing global energy crisis.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Prime Minister urged citizens to reduce fuel consumption, avoid unnecessary foreign travel and postpone buying gold in the national interest.
Reacting to Modi’s remarks, Rahul Gandhi said the government was shifting its responsibility onto ordinary people instead of addressing the crisis itself. In a post on X, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the Prime Minister was asking citizens to make sacrifices because the government had failed to manage the situation effectively.
Gandhi pointed out that people were being advised to cut down on petrol and diesel usage, avoid buying gold, reduce the use of cooking oil and fertilisers, use public transport and even work from home. According to him, such appeals showed how serious the situation had become under the current government.
He further alleged that after 12 years in power, the government had reached a point where it was telling citizens what they should buy, where they should travel and how they should live. Gandhi also repeated his criticism that the Prime Minister was unable to properly run the country.
Prime Minister Modi made these appeals during his address on Sunday while speaking about the global energy crisis linked to the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran. He asked people to conserve fuel wherever possible and encouraged the use of metro services and carpooling in cities.
The Prime Minister also suggested that companies consider allowing employees to work from home again, similar to the Covid 19 period, to help reduce fuel consumption. He appealed to citizens to postpone foreign trips and avoid buying gold for at least a year, saying such steps would support the national interest during difficult times.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also attacked the government, claiming that it had failed to prepare for the energy crisis despite the conflict continuing for weeks. He accused the Centre of putting the burden on common citizens rather than ensuring strong fuel reserves and economic stability.
Venugopal said the government should focus on protecting people from inconvenience by taking proper measures to secure the country’s energy needs instead of asking citizens to change their daily lives.