Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday on his recent appeals to work from home and avoid foreign travel, calling them "proofs of failure."
Citing the prime ministers' "demanded sacrifices" from the public on Sunday, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said, "These aren't sermons - these are proofs of failure."
PM Modi urged citizens to revive work-from-home practices and avoid non-essential foreign travel for at least a year on growing concerns over the economic impact of the ongoing Gulf conflict on global energy supplies, fuel prices and supply chains.
"In 12 years, he's brought the country to such a pass that the public has to be told - what to buy, what not to buy, where to go, where not to go. Every time, they shift the responsibility onto the people so they can escape accountability themselves," Rahul Gandhi said in a post on X.
"Running the country is no longer within the reach of a Compromised PM," he added.
PM Modi's WFH and other appeals under 'Nation First' strategy
PM Modi made seven appeals to the nation on Sunday as the West Asia conflict looms on global economies, impacting inflation, growth and supply chains. Under his 'Nation First' initiative, Modi urged the citizens to practice the following:
- Prioritize Work From Home wherever possible
- Avoid buying gold for one year
- Reduce petrol & diesel consumption: use metro/public transport
- Cut down the use of cooking oil
- Reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers and move toward natural farming
- Use fewer foreign-branded products and adopt Swadeshi
- Avoid foreign travel for one year
The prime minister stressed the need to reduce dependence on imports, saying that every household should cut down on edible oil consumption and move towards natural farming to help save foreign currency and protect the environment.
Addressing a gathering in Secunderabad, he added that reducing edible oil consumption would not only improve public health but also strengthen the country's economy.
"The same is true for edible oil. We have to spend foreign currency on its import. If every household reduces the use of edible oil, it is a huge contribution to patriotism. This will improve the health of the national treasury and the health of every family member," he said.
Highlighting the burden of fertiliser imports, PM Modi said India spends a significant amount of foreign exchange on importing chemical fertilisers and urged farmers to reduce their usage.
"Another sector that consumes foreign currency is our agriculture. We import chemical fertilisers in large quantities from abroad. We should reduce our consumption of chemical fertilisers by half and move towards natural farming. This way, we can save foreign currency and our farms and Mother Earth," he added.
He also redefined the modern meaning of patriotism and called on every Indian citizen to join a collective movement for economic resilience.
He framed the current crisis not just as a government challenge, but as a test of national character as supply chain disruptions continue to impact economies and raise fuel prices worldwide.
"Patriotism is not only about the willingness to sacrifice one's life on the border," he remarked. "In these times, it is about living responsibly and fulfilling our duties to the nation in our daily lives."
