NEW DELHI: Piling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for asking people to adopt Covid-type austerity measures in the wake of the West Asia crisis, opposition parties said the prime minister always seeks sacrifices from people to avoid accountability for his failures. They also accused him of duplicity and questioned why he was claiming 'all is well' during the election campaign just days ago.
Congress Leaders React
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the prime minister's demands on dos and don'ts 'are not sermons but proof of failure.' He added, 'In 12 years, he has brought the country to such a pass that the public now has to be told what to buy, what not to buy, where to go and where not to go. Every time, they shift responsibility onto people so they can wriggle out of their accountability. The compromised PM is no longer able to run the country.'
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that India's economy is in doldrums and the threat to food security is real. Party MP Manickam Tagore said, 'Modi is repackaging economic failure as moral advice.'
Other Opposition Voices
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the government of spreading fear instead of using its endless resources to tide over the crisis. He questioned why Modi did not remember the crisis when BJP leaders took thousands of chartered flights and stayed in hotels for campaigning. Rashtriya Janata Dal's Tejashwi Yadav mocked Modi, recalling that during the 2024 elections, Modi said the 'opposition will snatch your mangalsutra' while he is now, two years later, asking people to stop buying gold.
