CHANDIGARH, May 16: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his appeal to people to postpone foreign travels when he has not stopped going abroad himself.
Amid the crisis in West Asia, Modi has called for judicious use of fuel, postponing gold purchases and foreign travel. He also urged using metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased use of electric vehicles and working from home to conserve foreign exchange.
Speaking to reporters here, Mann said, “First the prime minister should stop his foreign visits. Where is he now? He has gone to the Netherlands. He will visit 3-4 more countries. He has asked people to avoid but he still went (on foreign visits). You are shutting down everything… do not buy gold, do not undertake foreign visits, work from home.
“Why doesn’t the PM work from home?” Mann asked, replying to a question on the PM’s call
The Punjab chief minister also took on the BJP-led Centre for increasing prices of petrol and diesel.
“We were to become ‘vishwaguru’ but we have become ‘vishwachele’. The war is happening somewhere else but restrictions are being imposed here. Why has no other country implemented it (restrictions)?” he asked.
Petrol and diesel prices were hiked by Rs 3 per litre each on Friday, the first rate increase in more than four years, amid mounting losses of fuel retailers due to surging global crude prices.
After his public appeal, Modi has reduced the size of his convoy, prompting several BJP chief ministers and other leaders to adopt similar measures.
The prime minister left for a six-day tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy to enhance bilateral ties amid the ongoing geopolitical upheaval. (PTI)
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