New Delhi [India], May 12 (ANI): Congress on Monday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his appeal to people to reduce consumption of petroleum products in view of the rising cost of crude due to the West Asia crisis and alleged that the BJP-led government has 'actively enabled' India's record dependence on crude oil and natural gas imports.

'After presiding over and actively enabling India's record dependence on crude oil and natural gas imports, now the PM pleads and begs India's consumers to take the onus of minimising consumption. He should first explain to the nation what happened to the thousands of crores of fraudulent investments made by GSPC - which he then covered up through its merger into ONGC,' Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

PM Modi, who was speaking at an event in Vadodra, referred to the global energy supply disruptions caused by West Asia conflict.

'From the Corona crisis through global economic disruptions to West Asia tensions, the world faces unprecedented instability that affects every nation, yet just as we collectively overcame Corona, we will certainly overcome this crisis through persistent government effort,' he said.

'The country desperately needs power of public participation, as a very large portion of India's imports constitutes crude oil sourced from regions today embroiled in conflict, creating dual crises of scarcity and price escalation,' he added.

Prescribing collective action through small individual pledges while detailing petrol-diesel reduction strategies, the Prime Minister advocated for public transport prioritization alongside car-pooling initiatives.

'Wherever possible, reduce consumption of petrol and diesel by using metro, electric buses, and public transport more; both government and private offices must prioritize virtual meetings and work-from-home arrangements to significantly reduce unnecessary fuel consumption,' he said.

The Prime Minister appealed for reduced cooking oil consumption which also has health benefits and called for postponing gold purchases during crisis periods.

'The nation spends significant foreign currency on cooking oil and gold imports while destination weddings consume reserves that could strengthen national resilience, making restraint essential during this period of global uncertainty,' he said. (ANI)