Sharad Pawar seeks all-party meet to discuss situation after PM’s austerity call

REacting to ground government minister Narendra Modi’s invoke for asceticism measures amid the on-going conflict in West Asia, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the situation.Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, however, criticised the PM and asked: ‘why should people bear the burden for the mistakes of the government’.“When crude prices were around $60 to $65 per barrel, you were still selling petrol and diesel to us at inflated prices,” Thackeray said.On Sunday, PM Modi called for a series of austerity measures, urging citizens to cut petrol and diesel consumption, adopt work from home options, postpone foreign travel and temporarily pause gold purchases.Pawar on X said that the PM must convene an all party meeting. He said, “The sudden nature of these announcements has created an atmosphere of unease among ordinary citizens, the industry-business sector, as well as investors. This situation is certainly a cause for concern. These are likely to have far-reaching impacts on the country’s economy.”“Considering the seriousness of this issue, the PM should convene an all-party meeting under his own chairmanship. Involving leaders from all parties in the decision-making process on matters of national interest is extremely essential for the welfare of the country,” he said.Also Read:Indian professionals cheer PM Modi’s WFH suggestion amid austerity call: ‘No point burning fuel to office’“Given the current international situation, the central government must prioritise greater sensitivity and broad consultations. Along with this, the PM should immediately call a meeting with renowned economic experts in the country, representatives from the industry sector, and relevant specialists to conduct a thorough review of the situation. A comprehensive discussion on future policies should be held,” Pawar said.Thackeray on X also reacted to PM Modi’s appeal and said, “What are you going to do about the Prime Minister himself and all his colleagues parading around the country with convoys of hundreds of vehicles, getting flowers showered upon themselves? Are you going to express regret for the mistakes we’ve made and promise that, starting with me, no one will do any such thing in the future? The mistakes are yours, so why should the public bear the burden?”“Currently, the international market price of crude oil is roughly $90 to $100 per barrel. It’s not as if the world has never seen prices like this before. From 2008 onward, during the Arab Spring in 2011-2012, in the period of 2013-2014 (when BJP folks were vehemently ranting about crude oil prices and the country’s embarrassment during that time), and later in a similar situation between 2022 and 2023 when OPEC decided to cut crude oil production, the price per barrel had also reached $90 to $100. Out of these instances, Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister 3 to 4 times, and once it was Modi himself. Manmohan Singh didn’t make such an appeal then, nor did Modi. So why now?” he asked.“When the price per barrel was around $60 to $65, you were still selling us petrol and diesel at inflated rates—where did all that money collected from people, amounting to several lakh crore rupees, go? What happened to it?” he said.“The Prime Minister says to cut back on petrol and diesel use. Alright. So why has this occurred to you only now? When campaigning and doing roadshows in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and other states’ elections, and transporting lakhs of people from across the country to those states, wasting billions of liters of petrol and diesel—why didn’t it occur to you then?” he asked.