'Compromised PM' no longer capable of running country: Rahul slams Modi for appealing people to cut fuel use

Every time, they shift the responsibility onto the people so they can escape accountability themselves, says Congress leader

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his appeal to people to take steps to overcome the challenges posed by the West Asia conflict, saying that the "compromised PM" is no longer capable of running the country.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the Prime Minister's words were "evidence of failure".

"Yesterday, Modi Ji called upon the public to make sacrifices — do not buy gold, do not travel abroad, consume less petrol, cut down on fertiliser and cooking oil, take the metro, and work from home," Gandhi said in an X post in Hindi on Monday.

"These are not sermons; these are evidence of failure," he said.

Over the last 12 years, the country has been brought to such a situation that the public now has to be told what to buy and what not to buy, where to go and where not to go, Gandhi said.

"Every time, they shift the responsibility onto the people so they can escape accountability themselves," he said.

"The 'compromised PM' is no longer capable of running the country," the Congress leader said.

'Convene Parliament session'

Earlier, terming the Prime Minister's seven appeal "very serious directives”, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said the government must convene a Parliament session and inform the country about the “true state of affairs”.

"These are very serious 'directives' from the @PMOIndia, what are the triggers for this? The Government must convene Parliament immediately & take the nation into confidence & inform us about the true state of affairs which has necessitated these 'appeals',” he said in a post on X.

The Congress on Sunday attacked Modi over his remarks urging citizens to use petroleum products judiciously, saying the Prime Minister is clueless about ensuring India's energy security even after three months into the US-Iran war.

Emphasising that the Centre is trying to shield people from the adverse impact of the West Asia conflict, Prime Minister Modi on Sunday called for judicious use of fuel, postponement of gold purchases and foreign travel, among other measures, to strengthen the economy.

Addressing a rally organised by the Telangana BJP in Hyderabad, he 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.