Modi’s austerity appeal in national interest, everyone should follow: Shivraj Chouhan

This is what visionary leadership means, always thinking about the nation and its people, and guiding the country through every crisis, Chouhan told PTI Videos The current situation is before all of us. Citing the Covid-19 pandemic situation, Chouhan said the country was able to overcome the crisis because of the prime ministers visionary leadership.

Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal for austerity measures is in the larger national interest and should be followed by everyone. The minister said the appeal is aimed at guiding and inspiring people to conserve fuel, which is a limited resource. Chouhan's remarks came a day after Modi called for judicious use of fuel, postponement of gold purchases and foreign travel, among other measures to strengthen the economy, emphasising that the Centre is trying to shield people from the adverse impact of the West Asia conflict. ''His suggestions are in the larger national and public interest, and all of us should follow them. This is what visionary leadership means, always thinking about the nation and its people, and guiding the country through every crisis,'' Chouhan told PTI Videos ''The current situation is before all of us. We do not have unlimited oil reserves that can be used without concern. A visionary leader thinks ahead to ensure that neither the nation nor its people face hardship. That is why he appeals to the country, provides direction, and inspires people,'' he added. Citing the Covid-19 pandemic situation, Chouhan said the country was able to overcome the crisis because of the prime minister's visionary leadership. ''The prime minister is a national leader who carries the nation in his heart. He is farsighted. We saw this during the Covid-19 period as well. It was because of his visionary leadership that our country overcame the crisis,'' he said. On Sunday, while addressing a rally organised by the Telangana BJP in Hyderabad, Modi suggested reducing petrol and diesel consumption, using metro services in cities, carpooling, increased use of electric vehicles, utilising railway services for parcel movement, and working from home to conserve foreign exchange amid the West Asia crisis. Stressing the need to save foreign exchange, Modi urged people to postpone the purchase of gold and foreign travel for one year. He called for a reduction in edible oil consumption, lowering the use of chemical fertilisers, promoting natural farming and 'swadeshi' (domestic) products to save foreign exchange and make the country self-reliant. Modi's remarks drew sharp reaction from Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who called the prime minister ''compromised'', saying that the public was being asked to ''sacrifice to compensate for government failures''. ''Yesterday, Modi ji asked the public to make sacrifices -- don't buy gold, don't travel abroad, use less petrol, cut down on fertiliser and edible oil, use the metro, and work from home. These are not advisories -- they are proof of failure,'' he tweeted.