Opposition Attacks PM Modi Over 'WFH, No Foreign Travel' Pitch Amid Iran War

Opposition parties launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his appeal asking citizens to adopt austerity measures amid the escalating Middle East crisis, with rivals questioning whether the government was bracing for a deeper economic emergency while shifting the burden onto ordinary people.

Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Trinamool Congress leaders accused the Centre of "policy failure", poor economic planning, and hypocrisy after the Prime Minister urged people to avoid foreign travel, cut fuel usage, postpone gold purchases, and revive work from home arrangements to help India tackle global instability and inflationary pressure arising out of the Middle East conflict.

The political backlash intensified even as the Centre moved into high alert mode over the Middle East situation. An important meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is scheduled at 10.30 am today, where ministers and senior officials will review the impact of the crisis on fuel supplies, shipping routes, inflation, and essential commodities.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called PM Modi's directives "proof of failure".

"Modi ji demanded sacrifices from the public yesterday - don't buy gold, don't go abroad, use less petrol, cut down on fertiliser and cooking oil, take the metro, work from home. These aren't sermons - these are proofs of failure," he said in a post on X.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram questioned what had prompted such "serious directives" from the Prime Minister's Office and demanded that Parliament be convened immediately. "What are the triggers for this? The Government must take the nation into confidence and explain the true state of affairs," he said.

These are very serious “directives” from the @PMOIndia, what are the triggers for this? The Government must convene Parliament immediately & take the nation into confidence & inform us about the true state of affairs which has necessitated these “appeals”. https://t.co/aEw3V6Gg6H

— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) May 11, 2026

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal accused the government of failing to secure India's energy interests despite months of global turmoil.

"It is shameless, reckless, and immoral that the PM is pushing inconvenience onto common citizens instead of ensuring the economy remains insulated from this global crisis," he said, alleging that the Centre remained more focused on elections than economic preparedness.

Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale also questioned whether India was staring at a forex or balance of payments crisis.

"If ministers continue flying on Air Force aircraft and travelling in huge convoys, why should citizens alone be asked to sacrifice?" he asked, also questioning the timing of the announcement after several state elections had concluded.

Speaking in Hyderabad, PM Modi had appealed for "collective participation" to help India navigate supply chain disruptions, rising prices, and global uncertainty linked to international conflicts.

ఈ ప్రపంచ సంక్షోభ సమయంలో, మన బాధ్యతలకే అత్యంత ప్రాధాన్యత ఇస్తూ కొన్ని సంకల్పాలు చేసుకుని, వాటిని ఎట్టి పరిస్థితుల్లోనూ నెరవేర్చాలి. ఈ సందర్భంలో నాకు ఒక ప్రత్యేక విజ్ఞప్తి ఉంది… pic.twitter.com/Ktp0I10Jvm

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 10, 2026

Under what the government described as a "Nation First" approach, the Prime Minister urged citizens to prioritise work from home wherever possible, reduce petrol and diesel consumption, use public transport, adopt electric vehicles, and avoid unnecessary foreign travel and overseas weddings for a year. He also asked people to avoid non-essential gold purchases for one year to reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves and encouraged citizens to buy more Made in India products.

Families were advised to cut edible oil consumption, while farmers were urged to reduce chemical fertiliser use and shift towards natural farming and solar-powered irrigation.

The IGoM has already held four meetings in recent months to monitor the impact of the Middle East conflict on India's economy, fuel availability, and supply chains, while also reviewing contingency planning amid continued volatility in global oil markets.