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Congress leader Pawan Khera on Monday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "7 appeals" urging citizens to make lifestyle changes to reduce imports and conserve foreign exchange, questioning whether the government expects "sacrifices only from the people".
In a video message posted on X, Khera said the Prime Minister, after the election campaign, had been "advising the nation" on multiple fronts, including reduced fertiliser use, lower fuel consumption, limited gold purchases, and curbs on foreign travel. "Friends, the election campaign has ended, the results are out, and the Prime Minister has offered some advice to the nation," Khera said. "He advised farmers to reduce fertiliser usage by 50 per cent. He advised the working class to stay at home, work from home, use public transport, and not use their vehicles unnecessarily. He advised kitchens to minimise cooking oil. He advised citizens not to buy gold for a year and not to travel abroad," Khera said. Questioning the feasibility of such suggestions, Khera said gold held deep cultural and social significance in India. "Gold is not just a metal for this country. It has cultural, religious and emotional value. Will weddings be postponed for a year? Will education be delayed?" he asked. He also criticised the proposal to reduce fertiliser use, saying farmers could not simply scale down agricultural inputs without affecting production. "Will they only till 50 per cent of their fields?" he said, adding that there had been "no real groundwork" for alternative nutrient support systems. Khera further questioned the broader economic rationale behind the appeal, claiming that India's foreign exchange reserves had recently declined and linking it to external geopolitical alignments. He also alleged inconsistency in messaging, pointing out that the Prime Minister was holding public events while urging citizens to limit travel and consumption. "Whenever you open your mouth, you ask something from the country. Before elections, it is votes; after elections, it is sacrifice," Khera said. "If the entire country is making sacrifices, then what will you do, Prime Minister ji?" The remarks come after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an address in Secunderabad on Sunday, urged citizens to reduce dependence on imports, adopt Swadeshi practices, cut fuel consumption, minimise edible oil usage, avoid non-essential foreign travel, and shift towards natural farming and electric mobility. The Prime Minister also stressed the need to reduce fertiliser imports and encouraged greater use of public transport and energy-efficient practices to conserve foreign exchange and address environmental concerns. (ANI)
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