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New Delhi/Bhopal: On one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making an emotional appeal to the countrymen to save petrol and diesel in view of the tensions in West Asia and the global energy crisis, while on the other hand, a leader of his own party has openly flouted this appeal. In Madhya Pradesh, a video of BJP leader Saubhagya Singh Thakur is spreading like wildfire on social media, in which he is seen taking to the road with an army of more than 50 vehicles.

Surprisingly, PM Modi had recently asked people to adopt public transport, carpooling and avoid unnecessary journeys. But during the journey of about 200 kilometers from Ujjain to Bhopal, Saubhagya Singh Thakur’s convoy not only burnt fuel but also increased the troubles of the common people on the highway.

After all, who is Saubhagya Singh Thakur?

Saubhagya Singh Thakur is a resident of Mangraula village in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh. He has recently been appointed Chairman of Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation. To assume charge of his new responsibility, he left for the capital Bhopal from Ujjain. But this journey became more of a ‘show of strength’ than assuming office. In footage viral on social media, a long queue of luxury SUVs laden with flowers could be seen, which stretched for several kilometers on the highway. He was welcomed with drums at many places, due to which there was a traffic jam for hours.

‘I didn’t even know’ – Netaji’s strange clarification

When questions were raised regarding this huge convoy, Saubhagya Singh Thakur gave a very simple but surprising answer. According to a report, he said, “I am from a rural background and everyone lives like a family in the village. Initially, there were only 25 vehicles with me, but people kept joining on the way. I did not even know how the convoy became so big.” When he was asked whether he had not noticed the increasing number of vehicles, he avoided the answer and said that he would talk about it later.

PM Modi’s appeal and ‘symbolic irony’

This incident happened within just 24 to 48 hours of PM Modi’s appeal in which he stressed on energy conservation. During a rally in Telangana on May 10, the PM had clearly said that in view of the global situation, citizens should exercise restraint and resort to electric vehicles or carpooling. Now the question is arising that when the party’s own leaders are not taking the Prime Minister’s message seriously, then how can one expect from the general public?

Congress’s attack: ‘This is the height of VIP culture’

Seizing this issue, the opposition has taken BJP to task. Many Congress veterans including Rahul Gandhi have called this a proof of the double standards of the Modi government. Congress says that on one hand the government talks to the people about making sacrifices and bearing inflation, while on the other hand their leaders are doing naked dance of VIP culture. However, in defence, BJP spokespersons argued that the PM’s appeal was in the national interest as India imports 85% of its energy, and the opposition was taking political advantage of this local incident.

show of power vs national responsibility

In Indian politics, convoys are considered a measure of strength. Especially at the rural level, leaders gather such crowds to show their influence. But in today’s era, when the country is fighting serious challenges like environment, traffic and energy security, then a convoy of 50 vehicles seems not to be a symbol of popularity but a symbol of carelessness. This incident shows how big a gap there is between the thinking of the top leadership sitting in Delhi and the grassroots level politics in the states.