Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty on Monday expressed support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal urging citizens to reduce fuel consumption and depend less on imported goods amid disruptions caused by the ongoing West Asia crisis.
In a post on X, Murty welcomed the Prime Minister’s suggestions on conserving fuel and increasing the use of virtual meetings.
“I welcome our Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji’s suggestion to citizens regarding the judicial use of fuel and the adoption of virtual meetings whenever possible. In light of the current supply chain disruptions caused by the West Asia crisis, such steps are important for our nation’s resilience,” she wrote.
Her remarks came shortly after PM Modi, while addressing an event in Vadodara, urged citizens to minimise unnecessary expenditure involving foreign exchange and adopt measures that could reduce pressure on national resources.
Apart from Murty, Mohandas Pai, a prominent angel investor and venture capitalist also backed PM Modi's appeal. In a video posted by PTI, he said, “PM Modi's call for austerity amid global crisis is sensible. Citizens must tighten their belts and reduce oil imports.”
A video of the Rajya Sabha MP speaking in the House while Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri looked on had gone viral on social media last month.
Addressing concerns over increasing fuel costs, Murty had argued that the issue was linked to global developments rather than domestic decisions.
“Everybody talks about gas cylinder price rise, but we never started the war, we did not ask for a petrol price rise,” she had said.
“India didn’t start the war, and fuel price rises are affecting the whole world, not just India,” she added.
Murty had also appealed to people to look at the issue in a broader geopolitical context and urged public understanding.
“We should be considerate about why the prices have gone up,” she said in the House.
Acknowledging the challenges faced by the government amid the global energy crisis, she added, “I understand the difficulties of our Petroleum Minister.”
Linked Global Crisis To Supply Chain Disruptions
During her speech in Parliament, Murty also referred to the impact of geopolitical tensions on fuel supply chains and infrastructure.
“If the pipelines are damaged in Iran, we cannot repair it,” she said.
“I request everyone to understand the situation,” she added.
Her comments had triggered widespread debate online, with many social media users discussing the impact of international conflicts on India’s fuel prices and imports.
PM Modi’s Appeal Amid West Asia Crisis
Speaking in Vadodara on Monday, PM Modi said India was facing challenges due to rising prices of imported goods and disruptions in global supply chains caused by the conflict in West Asia.
“Today, too, there is a need for all of us to come together and fulfil our responsibility to reduce the burden on the country's resources,” the Prime Minister said.
He urged citizens to reduce the use of petrol and diesel wherever possible and encouraged the use of public transport, electric buses and carpooling.
“I appeal to every citizen of my country to reduce the use of petrol-diesel as much as possible,” he said.
The Prime Minister also suggested prioritising virtual meetings and work-from-home arrangements in both government and private offices.
PM Modi further appealed to people to reduce dependence on imported products and postpone non-essential spending involving foreign exchange, including gold purchases and overseas travel.
“A huge amount of the country's money also goes abroad on gold imports,” he said while urging citizens to postpone buying gold until the situation normalises.
He also reiterated his “Vocal for Local” push and encouraged people to support locally made products instead of imported goods.
The Prime Minister had made a similar appeal during an event in Telangana on Sunday as well.
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