Congress Criticizes PM Modi's Appeal for Economic Austerity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday appealed to citizens to use petroleum products judiciously and postpone non-essential expenses, prompting the Congress to claim that the government is preparing to introduce tough austerity measures. The Congress general secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said the Prime Minister's appeal could mean that the economic situation is more serious than official numbers suggest.

The Congress has been critical of the government's handling of the economy, particularly in the context of the U.S.-Iran war, which has affected global energy security. The party said it is shameful that the Prime Minister is pushing people into inconvenience rather than building contingency plans to ensure the country's economy is unaffected by the global crisis.

The Prime Minister's appeal included a call for judicious use of fuel, postponement of gold purchases, and foreign travel, among other measures, to strengthen the economy. The Congress said the ground-level economic situation, reflected in stagnation in real wages, growing household indebtedness, and lack of momentum in job-creating private investment, is far removed from the government's propaganda.

The government is expected to announce further measures to address the economic situation in the coming days, with the Congress likely to continue its criticism of the government's handling of the economy. The next step will be to see how the government responds to the Congress's criticism and whether it will introduce additional austerity measures.