“We set out to become the Vishwaguru (world leader), but we are reducing ourselves to Vishwachele (world followers),” Mann added sharply.
A sharp political war of words has erupted following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to the nation to conserve oil and gold amid a global energy crisis. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched an attack on the Prime Minister, questioning the rationale behind advising citizens to practice such policies while he himself travels abroad.
Why Not Work From Home?, slams CM Mann
Taking a dig at PM Modi’s ongoing foreign visits, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that advice on slashing VVIP convoys and cutting back expenditures should “begin at home.”
“The Prime Minister is currently visiting the Netherlands and has three to four more countries lined up on his itinerary,” Mann told reporters.
“On one hand, citizens are being told to shut everything down, avoid foreign trips, stop buying gold, and work from home. Can’t the Prime Minister work from home?”
Mann further alleged that the central government is using international conflicts as an excuse to impose restrictions and mask the steep hike in domestic fuel prices. He pointed out that while petrol and diesel rates have surged by Rs 3 per liter following the conclusion of elections, neighbouring countries like Nepal have not initiated similar panic-driven austerity campaigns.
“We set out to become the Vishwaguru (world leader), but we are reducing ourselves to Vishwachele (world followers),” Mann added sharply.
PM Modi Warns of a Global Crisis in the Netherlands
The controversy follows PM Modi’s address in the Netherlands, where he painted a grim picture of the global economic landscape. The Prime Minister warned that the current decade is turning into a “decade of disasters” for humanity, plagued sequentially by the COVID-19 pandemic, war, and now a massive energy crisis.
“If these situations do not change rapidly, the achievements of the past several decades will be washed away,” PM Modi cautioned. He emphasized that a vast portion of the global population risks being pushed back into the quagmire of extreme poverty if nations do not act swiftly to mitigate the energy crunch.
Congress Proposes IPL Ban to Save Dollars and Fuel
Joining the attack, senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel targeted the Modi administration’s calls for restraint. Baghel suggested that if the country is indeed staring at such a severe financial and energy bottleneck, the government should take drastic, high-level measures starting with sports entertainment.
“If the crisis is this severe, the Indian Premier League (IPL) should be suspended immediately,” Baghel stated. He argued that putting the cricket league on hold would save millions of dollars currently being paid out to overseas players. Furthermore, stopping lakhs of fans from commuting to stadiums across the country would directly result in massive savings of petrol and diesel.
Fuel Prices expected to Climb further, Warn Experts
Compounding the political tension, the Punjab Petroleum Dealers Association has signaled that the public should brace for more financial pain at the pumps.
Ashok Sachdeva, President of the association, warned that if geopolitical tensions, particularly the volatile situation between the United States and Iran do not de-escalate, fuel prices are bound to skyrocket even higher. According to Sachdeva, the domestic market could witness further hikes within the next 10 to 15 days as the global oil supply remains heavily squeezed.
