Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal to cut fuel consumption and adopt restraint has sparked discussions among citizens about everyday responsibility and the larger energy challenge ahead. But even as the message travels through drawing rooms and public debates, some from his own party seemed to miss the memo, entirely-arriving in flashy, fuel-guzzling convoys.
PM Modi had on Sunday advised citizens to adopt a clutch of austerity measures, including car pooling, using public transport, working from home, buying less gold and limiting foreign travel among other measures.
A shareable image titled “Modi 7 Appeals” with key points has been circulating through government and aligned social media handles.
His appeal came amid global economic disruptions due to many factors, primarily the West Asia conflict sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran and latter’s retaliation that resulted in a full-scale war which has kept Strait of Hormuz — a key waterway through which a fifth of world’s energy requirements travel — virtually shut.
Framing the austerity as a patriotic duty amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict in West Asia, he said rising crude oil prices and disruptions to global supply chains were placing severe pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.
In line with his own call, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Special Protection Group (SPG) to reduce his convoy size by at least 50 per cent as part of the government’s austerity measures aimed at cutting fuel consumption while addressing surging global energy prices caused by the continuing crisis in the Middle East.
BJP leader’s massive convoy goes viral
While the common public discussed the possible reasons behind and the way forward after PM Modi’s appeals, a BJP leader appeared to royally ignore the same, turning his first day in office into a rolling contradiction of the very call for austerity.
Saubhagya Singh Thakur, appointed as chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation, arrived in Bhopal from Ujjain on Monday with his supporters to take charge of the post. Videos of his convoy, consisting of dozens of vehicles, went viral and sparked reactions.
Thakur later visited chief minister Mohan Yadav’s residence with his supporters to thank the latter for the appointment.
“BJP leader Saubhagya Singh Thakur has been appointed as the chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation. And then what… To put on a show of power, Saubhagya Singh took out a long convoy of vehicles from Ujjain to Bhopal,” Congress said in a post on X.
Congress said on one hand, Narendra Modi “lectures the country on using less petrol-diesel, while on the other, leaders from his own party tear his appeal to shreds.”
“This shows that Narendra Modi expects all the sacrifices from the public alone. The rest—those in power—can just enjoy themselves… He couldn’t care less about that,” the party said.
Similarly, Rakesh Singh Jadon, appointed as Vice President of the Khadi Village Industries Board, also arrived with a large convoy from Vidisha, reported PTI news agency.
PM’s austerity call taken seriously by Delhi, Maha, UP CMs
Within hours of PM Modi’s Sunday speech, social media was flooding with videos of PM Modi leading a roadshow in Gujarat’s Jamnagar in an armoured SUV surrounded by a convoy of dozens of vehicles.
Many citizens on social media shared photos of the large number of vehicles in his convoy, appearing to signal the contrast.
However, PM Modi and many other senior leaders and ministers in the Centre as well the states seemed to take note in no time and issue similar austerity measures, including the prime minister’s bold direction to the SPG to reduce his fleet.
Even Amit Shah has reportedly cut down the size of his convoy.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath too had issued a similar order to reduce the fleet of vehicles in his convoy, along with those of his ministers and top bureaucrats. The CM had also used his public representatives to use public transport at least once a week.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday appealed to residents to use more public transport and carpool services, and reduce dependence on private vehicles.
In Maharashtra as well, Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed ministers not to use government aircraft, except for urgent business, requiring him to personally sign off on such requests.
