Raipur, May 11 (IANS) Political reactions intensified on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to citizens regarding economic restraint, with Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launching a sharp attack on him and the BJP over rising gold prices and the country’s economic situation.

“First of all, the PM has finally woken up. Gold, which is at Rs 1.5 lakh, had gone up to Rs 1.86 lakh, but the PM remained silent then,” Baghel said.

He further alleged that the Centre had failed to address concerns during the conflict in West Asia.

“When the war was going on in West Asia, they stayed silent. Now that the elections are over, they have suddenly started speaking,” he said.

The Congress leader claimed that the Opposition had repeatedly warned the government about the economic challenges facing the country, but its concerns were dismissed by the BJP.

“When the Opposition was continuously raising this issue and warning that such a situation was going to arise, the PM, along with the entire BJP, kept saying that the Opposition was misleading people,” he said.

Baghel further demanded an apology from BJP leaders, saying: “Now that the PM himself has accepted this situation, all those leaders should apologise to the country.”

Targeting the Prime Minister over the economic outlook, Baghel added: “The Prime Minister is responsible for the economic crisis that the country is going to face.”

Meanwhile, Baghel also reacted to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks on Opposition unity and took a swipe at her political positioning.

“She understood it very quickly. The BJP was not even present there. You (Banerjee) were the one who said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is our natural friend. And today, when everything is gone, you are awake.”

–IANS

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