Source The Hindu
BENGALURU – Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar launched a stinging verbal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, dismissing the PM’s recent calls for public austerity as “impractical” and out of touch with the realities of the common man.
The confrontation follows the Prime Minister’s recent advisory suggesting that citizens should defer buying gold jewelry for a year and reduce fuel consumption to help stabilize the economy.
Gold, Weddings, and COVID-19 Parallels
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Shivakumar questioned the Prime Minister’s logic regarding the surge in prices. He challenged the Union government to take accountability for the economic climate rather than shifting the burden of “sacrifice” onto the public.
“The Prime Minister advises people not to buy gold and to reduce fuel use, but he fails to explain why prices have risen in the first place and who is responsible for it,” Shivakumar remarked.
He further ridiculed the suggestion by linking it to previous government appeals:
The Wedding Factor: Shivakumar asked if it was realistic to expect families to forgo gold during weddings and traditional ceremonies. “People buy gold during hardship or happiness, often by taking loans. You cannot simply tell them to stop.”
COVID-19 Comparison: He drew a parallel to the pandemic, asking, “During COVID-19, he asked people to light lamps and clap. Did that solve the actual problems?”
“Let the Sacrifice Begin at the Top”
The Deputy CM didn’t stop at gold prices. He took aim at the Prime Minister’s suggestion to use public transport, suggesting that the “austerity drive” should start within the Prime Minister’s own circle.
Shivakumar proposed a “top-down” approach to the sacrifice:
Union Cabinet: He urged the PM to first instruct his own Cabinet Ministers to switch to public transport.
Government Officials: He suggested that high-ranking Union officials should lead by example.
BJP States: He challenged leaders and workers in BJP-governed states to implement these measures before advising the general public.
“No Wobbling Chairs”
The exchange is part of a broader political tug-of-war. Over the weekend, Shivakumar also dismissed the Prime Minister’s claims that the Congress-led Karnataka government was unstable. Responding to the PM’s remark that the Chief Minister’s chair in Karnataka was “shaking,” Shivakumar asserted that “every chair here is strong and stable” and that he “did not know what the Prime Minister was seeing.”
As Karnataka gears up for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) polls, the war of words between the state’s leadership and the Centre continues to intensify, with the Congress focusing on “guarantees” and the BJP highlighting what it calls internal instability.
