Oppn criticises PM over his ‘cut fuel use’ appeal, CM seeks people’s support

Times News Network

Mumbai/Nagpur: The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra on Monday criticised PM Modi for his call to cut fuel use and foreign travel and accused the Modi govt of policy failure and poll-focused governance. The Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) said the BJP-led govt was asking citizens to cut spending and consumption instead of taking responsibility for rising prices, fuel costs and economic stress. CM Devendra Fadnavis however urged citizens to heed and support the PM’s appeal given the global crisis.

“In today’s war-like situation, this advice may be appropriate, but if the Central govt itself, along with all BJP-ruled states in the country, starts implementing it, that would be even more fitting... If a foreign policy is formulated with consensus by taking all parties into confidence so that the country doesn’t get into trouble due to wrong foreign policy, then no one will criticize the govt… Now that elections are over, the Prime Minister’s appeal doesn’t signal an impending hike in petrol-diesel prices, does it? That’s the suspicion that arises,” NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar said in a post on X.

State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “Today, for his own rally, he (PM) is going around burning thousands of litres of fuel and squandering crores? What kind of ‘sacrifice’ is this?” Mumbai Congress chief and MP Varsha Gaikwad said, “Rather than advising the public to make sacrifices, the PM should start with himself first.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “Policy failure to handle the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, election-related decisions cannot now be dumped at the door of the citizens and asked to conserve oil and curtail travel/purchases. The citizens are anyway bearing the impact of this govt’s chunaav focused governance and award collecting foreign relations.”

CM Fadnavis, speaking to the media in Delhi, said that in neighbouring Pakistan, fuel prices had touched Rs 450. “The global crisis is putting pressure on economies across the world. PM Modi has ensured the supply of petrol, diesel and gas but there cannot be indiscriminate consumption. Considering pressure on supply chains and the need to save foreign exchange wherever we can, we must rationalise... it is our appeal that everyone support it,” Fadnavis said.

On Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the PM’s appeal, Fadnavis said Gandhi cannot understand what the PM has said and one cannot blame him for his lack of understanding. “But people have understood and they will respond. Across the country, Rahul Gandhi in Indian politics is a rejected commodity, rejected by all... you (media) give him importance, we do not,” he said.

Meanwhile, minister Ashish Shelar on Monday said he would not be attending this year’s Cannes Film Festival in France in response to the PM’s appeal. Shelar, however, said govt machinery would continue to work to ensure coordination and support for Marathi films participating in the festival. He would participate online wherever necessary to promote Marathi cinema, he added.