Patna: Both the RJD and Congress on Monday said PM Narendra Modi’s seven-point advisory urging people to make sacrifices in view of the grim economic situation arising out of the Middle-East war amounted to an admission that an economic “tsunami” was looming and that the middle classes and poor sections of society would be the worst affected. The opposition parties said the PM had remained silent on the issue throughout the elections.“The advice given by PM Modi to the people amounted to finally admitting the unfolding of a severe economic crisis in the country. It also indicated that the middle classes and poor sections would be hurt most by the economic tsunami,” former RJD MLA Ramanuj Prasad and the party’s state general secretary Bhai Arun said on Monday.Launching a sharp attack on the PM, state Congress spokesman Rajesh Rathore said, “Starting with ‘notebandi’ (demonetisation of Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes), through mishandling of GST and the coronavirus pandemic, PM Modi’s singular contribution has been the destruction of the country’s economy. Today, he wants sacrifices from people, but why should he ask people to make sacrifices every time?”Senior RJD leaders claimed that since no major elections are scheduled in the immediate future before the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections next year, there could soon be a steep rise in the prices of petrol, diesel, LPG and other essential commodities.Referring to PM Modi’s statement that the Centre was bearing the burden of losses arising out of crude oil imports, the RJD leaders said when former PM Manmohan Singh was in office in 2014, crude oil prices had ranged between 110 and 115 US dollars per barrel, while petrol and diesel were being sold at Rs75 per litre and Rs57 per litre respectively. “He never spoke in the manner the present PM is speaking. What PM Modi is saying is that the central govt is not earning the desired profits on the sale of petrol and diesel,” they said, while expressing fears of a sharp rise in fuel prices.“PM Modi used to publicly say the coming to power of the opposition, including the grand alliance, would result in the seizure of the ‘mangalsutras’ of mothers and sisters. Yesterday, he said he is not asking people to donate their gold to him. However, going by the manner of his public avowal and actual practice, he might eventually ask people to donate their gold to increase gold reserves,” the RJD leaders alleged.
