Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity, accusing the government of preaching restraint to citizens while spending on self-promotion and failing to increase pensions for the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities over the past 12 years.
His remarks came as the Centre intensified austerity measures in response to the West Asia crisis, prompting several chief ministers to scale down official convoys and adopt fuel-saving practices.
Amid the rising crude oil prices the rupee slipped to a record intraday low of 95.80 against the US dollar on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Kharge alleged that the BJP-led government had undermined the dignity of vulnerable citizens by keeping old-age pensions unchanged despite persistent inflation. He claimed that the real value of pensions of Rs 200, Rs 300 and Rs 500 had steadily declined due to rising prices.
Kharge further alleged that while millions of elderly Indians struggle to meet basic needs, the government spends nearly Rs 1.5 crore a day on advertisements and political self-promotion. He claimed total expenditure on publicity had reached Rs 5,987.46 crore between 2014-15 and 2024-25.
He also said the “BJP model” prioritised political spectacle over economic dignity for disadvantaged groups.
On Sunday, Modi appealed to citizens to adopt austerity measures in view of the global energy crisis triggered by tensions in West Asia. He urged people to reduce fuel consumption, limit gold purchases, cut down on foreign travel and make greater use of public transport in order to conserve foreign exchange reserves.
In parallel to the Centre’s austerity drive, Modi drew attention on Monday by attending a commemorative event at Somnath in Gujarat that included a road and air show. The contrast between the call for public restraint and the optics of a ceremonial display triggered criticism from the Opposition over the paradox between austerity versus grandiose projections.
The Prime Minister suggested greater use of Metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased adoption of electric vehicles, wider use of railway services for parcel movement and working from home wherever possible. Government sources also said Modi had “significantly” reduced the size of his official motorcade.
Several states have since begun implementing similar measures.
Vishnu Deo Sai said his government had reduced the size of his official convoy and would prioritise electric vehicles in the future, while urging officials to curb unnecessary use of government resources.
Speaking to reporters in Raipur, Sai said the West Asia conflict had affected the entire world, including India, and noted that the Prime Minister had appealed to citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, limit gold purchases and avoid unnecessary foreign travel.
“We have also followed the appeal. We have reduced the number of vehicles in our official cavalcade. In the coming days, special focus will be given to EVs,” Sai said.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis is also considering a proposal to reduce ministerial convoys by nearly 50 per cent after holding high-level meetings on rationalising vehicle use without affecting security arrangements.
In Rajasthan, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma ordered a minimal convoy and was seen travelling with only five vehicles. In Delhi, tourism minister Kapil Mishra travelled by Metro and said ministers would increasingly rely on public transport.
“I will use public transport or only one government vehicle when necessary,” Mishra said.
Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath have also announced reductions in official vehicle fleets and called for fuel conservation in line with the Prime Minister’s appeal.
Amid these developments, India’s currency markets came under pressure as the rupee weakened for a fourth consecutive session and touched a record intraday low of 95.80 against the US dollar on Wednesday.
Forex analysts attributed the fall to surging crude oil prices, heightened global risk aversion linked to tensions in West Asia, a stronger dollar index and sustained foreign institutional outflows.
The government’s recent decision to raise import duties on gold and silver to 15 per cent from 6 per cent was seen as an attempt to curb demand for safe-haven imports and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves, although experts said the move was unlikely to fully offset external shocks.
The rupee has now lost nearly 96 paise in the three sessions since May 7.