‘Proof of failure’! Rahul targeted Modi, Akhilesh said – ‘I remembered the crisis as soon as voting ended’

PC: anandabazar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the countrymen to exercise restraint to save foreign exchange reserves. Opposition parties have already started raising questions on his appeal to the general public. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has described the Prime Minister’s appeal as ‘proof of the Centre’s failure’. Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Left parties have also criticized the Modi government.

Petrol, diesel, cooking gas, edible oil, gold, copper, chemical fertilizers – India has to import a large part of these products from abroad. There is pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves. The Prime Minister has requested that these products be used sparingly amid unrest in West Asia. Following Modi’s appeal, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticized the Center on Monday. He wrote on social media, “Yesterday Modiji appealed to the common man to make sacrifices – don’t buy gold, don’t travel abroad, spend less on petrol, reduce the use of fertilizers and cooking oil, travel by metro and work from home. These are not suggestions, these are proof of failure.”

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, Rahul further wrote, “In the last 12 years, the country has been brought to such a stage that now people are being told – what to buy and what not to buy, where to go and where not to go. To escape from their responsibility, they again and again impose responsibility on the common man.”

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav also raised questions on Modi’s appeal to the countrymen. Taking aim at the Centre, Akhilesh wrote, “As soon as voting is over, I remember the crisis!” He also raised questions as to why these issues were not considered during the election campaign. Akhilesh wrote, “Thousands of chartered planes in which BJP leaders flew during the election campaign, did they run on water? Didn’t they stay in hotels then? Or did they hang pictures of gas cylinders and cook food in front of them? Why didn’t BJP leaders do their entire campaign through video conferencing? Why do only the common people have to accept all this?”