New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "unexpected pleas" to the people from Hyderabad could mean that tough austerity measures may well be on their way, and claimed that the ground-level economic situation is far removed from the "government's propaganda".

Congress general secretary in-charge (communications) Jairam Ramesh asserted that the time for reckoning has arrived.

"The prime minister's unexpected pleas to the people of the country made from Hyderabad yesterday (Sunday) could mean the following -- The economic situation is far more serious than what official numbers suggest and what the prime minister and his colleagues have been claiming all this while," Ramesh said on X.

Tough austerity measures, including increase in fuel prices, may well be on their way and an environment is being created to make them more acceptable, he said.

"That the ground-level economic situation -- ”reflected, for instance, in stagnation in real wages, growing household indebtedness, and lack of momentum in job-creating private investment --” is far removed from the Modi government's propaganda has been obvious for a long time," Ramesh said.

The Congress on Sunday attacked Modi over his remarks urging citizens to use petroleum products judiciously, saying the prime minister is clueless about ensuring India's energy security even after three months into the US-Iran war.

The opposition party said it is "shameless, reckless and downright immoral" that the prime minister is pushing people into inconvenience, rather than building contingency plans to ensure the country's economy is unaffected by this global crisis.

Emphasising that the Centre is trying to shield people from the adverse impact of the West Asia conflict, Prime Minister Modi on Sunday called for judicious use of fuel, postponement of gold purchases and foreign travel, among other measures, to strengthen the economy.

Addressing a rally organised by the Telangana BJP in Hyderabad, he suggested reducing petrol and diesel consumption, using metro rail services in cities, carpooling, increased use of electric vehicles, utilising railway services for parcel movement, and working from home to conserve foreign exchange amid the crisis in West Asia.

Stressing the need to save foreign exchange due to the crisis, Modi called for postponing the purchase of gold and foreign travel for one year.

"We have to save foreign exchange by any means," he said, adding that due to the West Asia conflict, prices of petrol and fertilisers have increased significantly.

When there is pressure on the supply chain, difficulties increase despite various government measures to address the situation, he had said. "That's why, during a global crisis, keeping the country above all else, we have to take resolutions," he had said.

"We got into work-from-home, virtual meetings, video conferencing, and many other methods during Covid-19. We got used to them. The need of the hour is to resume those methods," Modi had said.

He called for reduction in edible oil consumption, lowering the use of chemical fertilisers, promoting natural farming and Swadeshi products to save foreign exchange and make the country self-reliant. PTI ASK RUK RUK

Foreign exchange conservation and fuel restraint shape a wider debate on austerity, consumption cuts, and economic stress. Concerns were raised over the economic impact of the West Asia conflict and the possibility of tighter austerity measures, including higher fuel prices, as the government urged citizens to reduce consumption of petroleum products and other imports. The stated objective of these appeals was to conserve foreign exchange and reduce pressure on the economy amid rising supply-chain stress and increased prices of petrol and fertilisers. The measures advocated included greater use of metro rail, carpooling, electric vehicles, railway parcel movement, work-from-home arrangements, postponement of gold purchases and foreign travel, reduced edible oil consumption, lower use of chemical fertilisers, promotion of natural farming, and preference for Swadeshi products.