Congress leader calls Modi “compromised PM”, slams govt over austerity remarks

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Indian premier urged citizens to reduce expenses and adopt austerity measures amid growing economic pressure in the country.

In a fiery social media post, Rahul Gandhi mocked Modi’s recent appeals asking citizens to avoid unnecessary fuel consumption, reduce the use of cooking oil and fertilizers, limit foreign travel, and rely more on public transport and remote work. Gandhi claimed these were not “national sacrifices” but evidence of the government’s inability to manage the economy after more than a decade in power.

The Congress leader accused the Modi administration of repeatedly shifting responsibility for economic hardship onto ordinary Indians instead of accepting accountability for inflation, rising fuel prices, and weakening purchasing power. He argued that citizens were now being told what to buy, where to travel, and how to live because of policy failures at the top.

Gandhi further alleged that the government’s economic narrative had turned into a cycle where the public bears the burden while political leadership avoids criticism. In his remarks, he described Modi as a “compromised” prime minister struggling to effectively run the country, escalating the already heated political war between India’s ruling BJP government and the opposition Congress party.

The comments quickly triggered debate across Indian social media, with opposition supporters amplifying Gandhi’s criticism while BJP backers defended the government’s calls for economic discipline and reduced consumption.