Narendra Modi has called on citizens to make temporary lifestyle adjustments in response to the global economic strain caused by the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran. Speaking at an event in Hyderabad on Sunday, the Prime Minister suggested measures such as reducing fuel consumption, postponing foreign travel, limiting gold purchases, and even returning to work from home arrangements wherever possible.
His remarks come more than two months after tensions in West Asia escalated into conflict on February 28, disrupting global energy markets and increasing pressure on fuel supplies worldwide. Although a temporary ceasefire is currently in place, uncertainty surrounding the region’s stability continues to affect economies across the globe.
The Prime Minister said the country must respond to the crisis with a sense of national responsibility. He urged people living in cities with metro systems to rely more on public transport and encouraged carpooling to reduce petrol and diesel usage. Modi also suggested that companies and employees consider work-from-home arrangements again, arguing that it would help conserve fuel in the national interest.
He further appealed to citizens to avoid non-essential foreign travel for at least a year and advised people to delay buying gold in order to help conserve foreign exchange reserves at a time when import costs are rising sharply.
The comments immediately triggered criticism from the opposition, with Rahul Gandhi accusing the government of shifting the burden of the crisis onto ordinary citizens. In a post on social media, Gandhi described Modi’s appeals as evidence of governance failure rather than leadership. He argued that after more than a decade in power, the government was now asking people to alter their daily lives because it had failed to adequately prepare the country for global shocks.
Gandhi also revived his criticism of Modi’s leadership, claiming the Prime Minister was no longer capable of effectively steering the country through difficult times.
Senior Congress leader K. C. Venugopal echoed those concerns and questioned the government’s handling of India’s energy security. He said the administration appeared unprepared despite the conflict having continued for weeks and criticized the idea of pushing citizens toward inconvenience instead of strengthening economic safeguards and fuel reserves.
Another Congress MP, Karti P. Chidambaram, described the Prime Minister’s remarks as serious directives rather than simple appeals. He called for an immediate session of Parliament to discuss the situation and urged the government to explain what circumstances had led to such extraordinary public requests.
The concerns come as the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut, disrupting one of the world’s most important energy trade routes. With nearly a fifth of global energy supplies passing through the corridor, prolonged instability in the region has intensified fears over fuel availability and rising import bills for countries heavily dependent on energy imports, including India.
