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Pawar demands all-party meeting; Raj asks why people must bear the burden of govt’s mistakes
Stating that the PM’s sudden announcement has created fear and confusion among citizens, the business sector and investors, Pawar posted on X: “Considering the seriousness of this issue, the Prime Minister should convene an all-party meeting under his own chairmanship and involve leaders from all parties in the decision-making process on matters of national interest, as it is extremely essential for the country’s welfare.”
MUMBAI: Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for austerity in the face of the ongoing war in West Asia, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar urged the PM to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the crisis, while MNS chief Raj Thackeray criticised the PM asking why citizens must bear the burden of the government’s mistakes.
On Sunday, PM Modi appealed to citizens to stop buying gold, avoid foreign travel unless necessary, reduce petrol and diesel use by adopting work-from-home options, and use electric vehicles, as large foreign exchange reserves are spent on buying gold and petroleum products.
Stating that the PM’s sudden announcement has created fear and confusion among citizens, the business sector and investors, Pawar posted on X: “Considering the seriousness of this issue, the Prime Minister should convene an all-party meeting under his own chairmanship and involve leaders from all parties in the decision-making process on matters of national interest, as it is extremely essential for the country’s welfare.”
He added that the prime minister should also summon the country’s renowned economic experts, industry representatives, and specialists to review the situation.
Reacting to the prime minister’s appeal, the MNS chief called attention to the “prime minister and his colleagues taking out rallies across the country with convoys of hundreds of vehicles, showering flowers upon themselves”.
“Will you admit that mistakes were made and say that neither you nor anyone else will repeat such things anymore? Why should the burden of your mistakes fall upon the people,” Thackeray posted on X.
“The international price of crude is around $90 to $100 per barrel. This is not the first time the world has seen such prices. In 2008, the Arab Spring in 2011–2012, during 2013–2014 (when BJP leaders passionately spoke about fuel prices and the nation’s dignity), and again during 2022–2023 when OPEC reduced crude production, prices similarly reached between $90 and $100 per barrel. In three or four of those instances, Manmohan Singh was the prime minister, and once Narendra Modi himself was PM. No one made such appeals then; so why now,” asked Thackeray.
“When crude prices were around $60 to $65 per barrel, you were still selling petrol and diesel at inflated prices,” he added.
State unit of BJP responded to the criticism, with party spokesperson Navnath Ban saying, “When your UPA government was in power and you (Sharad Pawar) were the agriculture minister, hundreds of farmers in Maharashtra were dying by suicide every day. Did you not feel disturbed then?”
He added: “2G, 3G and several other scams took place during the UPA regime, yet you did not utter a single word about unrest at the time.”
Taking a jab at Thackeray, Ban said he should “focus on rebuilding his party”.
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