Nation first: BJP defends Modi’s call for fuel saving, slams Congress
The BJP hit back at Rahul Gandhi for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s austerity appeal amid the West Asia crisis, accusing Congress of prioritising politics over nation-building. BJP leaders defended Modi’s call for fuel conservation, self-reliance and economic discipline as responsible leadership during global uncertainty
New Delhi: The BJP on Monday hit back at Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity amid the West Asia conflict, saying the politics of Congress has remained confined to power and not nation-building. The party also launched a scathing attack on the opposition and asked it to refrain from indulging in politics driven by “hostility and prejudice” during a global crisis.
The BJP’s response came as Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, attacked Modi after the prime minister on Sunday appealed to citizens to adopt measures to cope with the impact of the West Asia conflict, saying the “compromised PM is no longer capable of running the country”. The Congress leader also said that the prime minister’s words were “evidence of failure”.
In a sharp rebuttal, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi asked the opposition if it supports securing India’s future, while accusing it of advancing its “political interests by creating social and political disorder”. “First, please tell us which region of the world is not facing some kind of economic, strategic or energy crisis at this time whether it is America, Europe or the Middle East.
“Second, we want to ask the opposition whether it supports securing India’s economic and energy security. Third, is it not trying to gain political mileage by creating confusion and instability over issues related to the economy and national security?” Trivedi said.
The Rajya Sabha MP said that 85 per cent of India’s energy requirements are met through imports, which require foreign exchange, and securing economic and energy security is extremely important for the country’s future and that of its citizens.
Questioning the prime minister’s intentions reflects the opposition’s flawed perception, he alleged. “Even during a tsunami, if our ship is moving ahead, it is certain to face shocks. If someone says that the problem is not because of the tsunami but because of the captain of the ship, I believe the fault lies in that person’s perception,” he said.
“Whatever the prime minister said was the duty of the government. It is somewhat similar to how the government asks people to exercise caution when there is a possibility of a tsunami or a storm. It does not mean that the government is trying to curtail anyone’s freedom,” Trivedi said.
“Therefore, while supporting the prime minister’s appeal, I would like to invoke lines from Atal Ji’s poem and appeal to the people of the country, and also to the opposition: ‘Come, let us light a lamp together’,” he added.
In a post on X, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said Modi did not ask people to make sacrifices but urged them to make conscious choices in the national interest, such as conserving energy, promoting indigenous products, preserving foreign exchange and strengthening self-reliance.
“But this is precisely the Congress’ problem. Any call for public participation in the national interest. sounds like ‘preaching’ to them, because their politics has remained confined to power, not nation-building,” he said.
Referring to the impact of the West Asia conflict, Malviya said every global crisis affects the entire world and cited India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to counter Gandhi’s attack. “If appealing to the public to fulfil its responsibility is considered a failure, was your beloved Nehru also a ‘compromised PM’?” he asked.
Malviya also shared a purported video of Nehru in which the former prime minister can be heard saying that the country is impacted when wars take place in nations such as Korea or America. A responsible leadership tells people the truth and appeals for collective participation in facing challenges, Malviya said.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari, in a post on X, took a swipe at Gandhi, saying those who do not have “country interest” but only “party interest” in mind would never understand the principle of “nation first”.
Emphasising that the Centre is trying to shield people from the adverse impact of the West Asia conflict, Modi on Sunday called for judicious use of fuel, postponement of gold purchase and foreign travel, among other measures, to strengthen the economy.
Addressing a rally organised by the Telangana BJP in Hyderabad, Modi suggested reducing petrol and diesel consumption, using Metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased use of electric vehicles, utilising railway services for parcel movement and working from home to conserve foreign exchange amid the crisis in West Asia. Stressing the need to save foreign exchange amid the crisis, Modi called for postponing the purchase of gold and foreign travel for one year.
He also called for a reduction in edible oil consumption, lowering the use of chemical fertilisers and promoting natural farming and Swadeshi products to save foreign exchange and make the country self-reliant.
“Yesterday, Modi Ji called upon the public to make sacrifices… These are not words of counsel; they are evidence of failure,” Gandhi said in an X post in Hindi. “Time and again, they shift the responsibility onto the public to evade their own accountability,” he added.
