Ahmedabad/Palanpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised that the govt has shielded the country’s people from a rise in petrol and diesel prices, even as fossil fuel prices have surged sharply due to the ongoing Middle East war.Addressing a public rally in Vav-Tharad in Banaskantha district, Modi launched a fierce attack on the Congress, accusing it of orchestrating a political conspiracy to trigger disorder by spreading rumours of a fuel shortage merely to reap political gains.“Diesel and petrol prices have shot up by 10%-25% in countries across the world, including major global powers. Despite the impact of the war, the govt has shielded people in India from this burden. The Congress cannot reconcile itself to this and therefore its leaders are relentlessly spreading rumours to create an atmosphere of fear. They want people to queue outside gas agencies and petrol pumps so that chaos spreads and they can fuel a misinformation campaign,” Modi said. Modi dedicated various infrastructure projects valued at Rs 20,000 crore for north Gujarat.India not only maintained stability in the face of war and uncertainty but is also moving rapidly on the path of development, he said, crediting the country’s successful foreign policy and the spirit of unity for its ability to manage the situation.Stepping up his attack on opponents, Modi said that even in this time of global upheaval, some political parties were attempting to extract political mileage and that the Congress was at the forefront of this conspiracy.“Like political vultures, the Congress is waiting for the crisis to deepen so that it can exploit the distress for political gains. When the country needs to stand in unity and solidarity, its leaders are dividing the nation. When there is a need to instil confidence among people, they spread fear and rumours. When we need patience and restraint, Congress is instigating people.The Prime Minister said the Congress becomes unsettled and frustrated whenever it is out of power and cautioned people to guard against the party’s conspiracies.Recalling the shirtless protest by members of the Congress’s youth wing at the Global AI Summit, Modi said the party’s intention was clearly to malign India’s image before the world at a time when the summit had drawn praise from across the globe.“In the prevailing situation also, Congress is echoing the anti-India narrative of some foreign elements,” he said.Calling upon people to remain united in the face of global tensions, Modi said India demonstrated remarkable resilience during the Covid pandemic and asserted that the country can face the toughest global challenges.“We should feel proud that when many countries are struggling to protect themselves from the impact of war, India is not only maintaining stability but progressing rapidly,” he said.
