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The escalating tension in West Asia has sparked a fresh political firestorm at home. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "seven appeals" aimed at mitigating the domestic impact of the Middle East conflict, the Congress party has accused the government of inconsistency and "contradicting its own narrative."
Senior Congress leader Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Monday hit out at the Prime Minister, claiming the government's sudden urgency revealed a deteriorating economic or strategic situation that was previously downplayed. Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "On one hand, the Prime Minister was saying that the Middle East conflict would have no impact on us, and now the Prime Minister himself is contradicting his own statement. This shows that the country's situation is not good. Policies should be changed..." The "seven appeals," which focused on energy security, supply chain resilience, and maintaining internal stability, have become the new centre of the government-opposition rift. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also criticised the Prime Minister's appeals, terming them "proofs of failure" rather than "sermons." In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi accused the government of shifting responsibility onto citizens while attempting to avoid accountability for inflation and economic pressures. Prime Minister Modi, however, described the appeals as part of a broader effort towards "economic self-defence" and responsible patriotism during a period of global uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions. The remarks came a day after Prime Minister Modi, while addressing a gathering in Secunderabad, urged citizens to reduce dependence on imports and adopt responsible consumption habits to strengthen the economy amid global supply chain disruptions and rising costs caused by international conflicts. The Prime Minister appealed to people to reduce edible oil consumption, use public transport, prefer carpooling, adopt electric vehicles and move towards natural farming practices in order to reduce the country's import burden and conserve foreign exchange. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticised the Prime Minister's appeals, terming them "proofs of failure" rather than "sermons." In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi accused the government of shifting responsibility onto citizens while attempting to avoid accountability for inflation and economic pressures. Prime Minister Modi, however, described the appeals as part of a broader effort towards "economic self-defence" and responsible patriotism during a period of global uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions. (ANI)
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