New Delhi [India], May 11 (ANI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'seven appeals' to citizens may indicate that fuel price hikes and austerity measures could soon be introduced amid growing economic challenges linked to the ongoing West Asia crisis.

In a post on X, Ramesh said the Prime Minister's remarks made during his address in Hyderabad suggested that the country's economic situation may be more severe than what the government has publicly projected so far.

'The Prime Minister's unexpected pleas to the people of the country made from Hyderabad yesterday could mean the following -- 1. The economic situation is far more serious than what official numbers suggest and what the PM and his colleagues have been claiming all this while. 2. Tough austerity measures, including increase in fuel prices, may well be on their way and an environment is being created to make them more acceptable,' Ramesh wrote.

He further alleged that ground-level economic realities were inconsistent with the government's claims regarding economic growth and stability.

'That the ground-level economic situation -- reflected, for instance, in stagnation in real wages, growing household indebtedness, and lack of momentum in job-creating private investment -- is far removed from the Modi Govt's propaganda has been obvious for a long time,' he added.

https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/2053716539254460670

The remarks came a day after Prime Minister Modi, while addressing a gathering in Secunderabad, urged citizens to reduce dependence on imports and adopt responsible consumption habits to strengthen the economy amid global supply chain disruptions and rising costs caused by international conflicts.

The Prime Minister appealed to citizens to reduce edible oil consumption, use public transport, prefer car-pooling, adopt electric vehicles, and move towards natural farming practices to reduce the country's import burden and conserve foreign exchange.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also criticised the Prime Minister's appeals, terming them 'proofs of failure' rather than 'sermons.'

In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi accused the government of shifting responsibility onto citizens while attempting to avoid accountability for inflation and economic pressures.

Prime Minister Modi, however, described the appeals as part of a broader effort towards 'economic self-defence' and responsible patriotism during a period of global uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions. (ANI)