Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram on Monday questioned the“very serious directives” issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, and demanded that the Centre immediately convene a session of Parliament to explain Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “seven appeals” aimed at strengthening India during a period of global uncertainty.
Responding to a post by MyGov on X, the Congress leader wrote, “What are the triggers for this? The Government must convene Parliament immediately & take the nation into confidence & inform us about the true state of affairs which has necessitated these 'appeals'.”
The MyGov post, titled “Nation First Duty Above Comfort!”, outlined seven appeals made by the Prime Minister to encourage citizens to contribute towards a stronger and more self-reliant India.
The measures included prioritising work from home wherever possible, reducing fuel consumption, avoiding foreign travel for a year, adopting Swadeshi products, cutting down cooking oil usage, moving towards natural farming and reducing unnecessary gold purchases.
“A collective spirit of responsibility can make India stronger and more self-reliant,” the post said.
Prime Minister Modi had made the appeals during an address in Hyderabad on Sunday, where he framed patriotism in terms of responsible economic behaviour amid global supply chain disruptions and rising costs linked to international conflicts.
“Patriotism is not only about the willingness to sacrifice one's life on the border,” the Prime Minister said. “In these times, it is about living responsibly and fulfilling our duties to the nation in our daily lives.”
The Prime Minister urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption by using metro services and public transport, opting for car-pooling, preferring railways for goods transport and increasing the use of electric vehicles.
Recalling efficiencies achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic, he also encouraged wider adoption of virtual work practices to reduce energy consumption and the national carbon footprint.
In a direct appeal to conserve foreign exchange reserves, PM Modi urged citizens to avoid unnecessary foreign travel, overseas vacations and destination weddings for one year, while promoting domestic tourism and celebrations within India. He also appealed to people to avoid non-essential gold purchases during the same period.
The Prime Minister further called on citizens to prioritise Made-in-India products, including daily-use items such as shoes, bags and accessories, and urged families to reduce edible oil consumption for both economic and health benefits.
Addressing farmers, Modi advocated a transition towards natural farming and called for a 50% reduction in chemical usage, describing farmers as key contributors to environmental sustainability and economic independence.
He concluded by saying that India’s strength during turbulent global conditions would come from the “micro-efforts” of its 1.4 billion citizens, stressing that the country’s future growth would be shaped by everyday choices made by ordinary people.
(With inputs from ANI)