After Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a public appeal for Indians to cut down on fuel use, avoid non-essential foreign travel and reduce spending amid ongoing global economic pressures, opposition leaders in Maharashtra hit back strongly. They accused him of “policy failure” and asked why such austerity measures are aimed at ordinary citizens and not first followed by political leaders themselves.
Leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — including the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) — criticised the call, saying it is hypocritical to ask people to avoid travel and consumption when political leaders have held large rallies, roadshows and long tours. Some pointed out that before advising citizens to forego foreign trips, the Prime Minister and ruling party leaders should cancel or cut back their own international travel.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal described the appeal as a sign of the government’s lack of long-term planning and focus on image-building, rather than practical solutions to rising fuel costs and inflation. Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT) called the austerity message a reflection of “policy failure” in handling the global situation and said the burden was unfairly shifted onto citizens.
While critics highlighted these points, some state leaders have already taken steps such as cancelling planned foreign tours by ministers or shifting official engagements to virtual platforms to support fuel and foreign-exchange saving efforts.
