Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to conserve fuel and reduce the use of unnecessarily vehicles has sparked a new political controversy after Mr Pritam Lodhi, Madhya Pradesh’s BJP minister, got caught in one of his convoy trips, in which he was seen riding in almost 200 vehicles.
The video of the convoys from Shivpuri caught the eyes of people and opposition parties soon spread on social media, attracting criticism from days on end. The scenes included a long queue of vehicles, including multiple SUVs and cars, lined up down the road, and a display of strength by thugs standing through sunroofs and leaning out of on-the-go vehicles in the line. They cruised with Pritam Lodhi in his tour to the renowned Bagicha Sarkar temple in Karera.
The large procession was meant to be a statement of muscle movement following tensions due to the son of MLA in alleged road accident case, according to political observers, who also said that party leaders have asked for an explanation from Lodhi.
The concern got further momentum when another BJP leader, state minister Dharmendra Singh Lodhi was also seen leading a long convoy of vehicles, and at the same time telling people to cut consumption of fuel and opt for pods whenever they can.
Both the attacks were strongly criticized by the Congress party in terms of the hypocrisy and failure to take heed of calls for public welfare issued by the Prime Minister. Opposition leaders also claimed that these convoys also run counter to traffic standards and inconvenience common people.
The brouhaha has now created a greater discussion of the culture of “VIPs,” political poses and the disparity between what leaders say and what they do.