PM Modi urges citizens to cut fuel use, revive COVID-era measures

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using metros and public transport wherever available, opting for car-pooling when private vehicles are necessary, preferring railway transport for movement of goods, increasing the use of electric vehicles wherever possible. He also called for revival of COVID-era efficiency measures in national interest, including work-from-home arrangements, Online conferences and virtual meetings.

The PM called for a collective participation to help India face global economic disruptions, supply chain challenges, and rising prices caused by international conflicts.

In a public address at Hyderabad, PM Modi emphasised that patriotism is not only about sacrificing one's life for the nation, but also about living responsibly and fulfilling duties towards the country during difficult times.

The PM simultaneously appealed to citizens to help conserve foreign exchange reserves by avoiding unnecessary foreign travel, overseas vacations and foreign weddings, choosing domestic tourism and celebrations within India, requested people to avoid non-essential gold purchases for one year in order to reduce pressure on foreign exchange outflows.

PM encouraged citizens to prioritise Made-in-India and locally manufactured products, including daily-use items such as shoes, bags, and accessories. He also asked families to reduce edible oil consumption, stressing that it would benefit both national economic health and personal health.

He further urged farmers to reduce chemical fertiliser usage by 50 per cent and move towards natural farming practices to help protect soil health and reduce import dependence. Modi encouraged wider adoption of solar-powered irrigation pumps instead of diesel pumps in agriculture.

“Congress a backstabber”

Bengaluru/Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked the Congress, accusing it of failing to provide good governance due to the internal power struggles in Karnataka, and betraying the people.

In a public address at Bengaluru, PM Modi termed Congress a "backstabber" for ditching its older alliance partner DMK and joined hands with Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), to be in power.

Addressing in Bengaluru, Modi projected the BJP-led NDA as the embodiment of political stability and development, contrasting it with what he described as Congress's "politics of betrayal" and administrative failure in states ruled by the party. He said that a "saffron sun" was rising from Bengaluru amid the BJP's expanding political influence across the country.

"For the past three years in Karnataka, instead of resolving people's problems, most of the government's time here has been spent resolving internal conflicts. The Congress government remained gripped by uncertainty over leadership and power-sharing arrangements," the PM said.

Modi was referring to the ongoing power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, for the past six months. "They cannot decide how long the chief minister will remain. They cannot decide whether another person will get a chance or not. Everything has been kept hanging," he said.

Modi said the Congress government invariably faced anti-incumbency within months because the party lacked a governance agenda. Claiming that the BJP represented stability in an uncertain global environment, Modi said recent election results across states reflected growing public support for the NDA's governance model.

Referring to the NDA returning to power in Puducherry for a second consecutive term, forming government again in Assam, BJP's electoral gains in West Bengal, and the party's sweeping victory in Gujarat local body polls, he said the results indicated a decisive political shift.

In his second public address during the day at Hyderabad, Modi said people of Telangana is now looking for a change where a Congress government is installed. PM reminded a BJP government has been formed in Bengal with massive majority and he could visualise similar enthusiasm in Telangana like Bengal people.