Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has come down heavily on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for his comments regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s austerity measures.

Speaking to presspersons in Hassan on Tuesday, Mr. Deve Gowda said that Modi’s suggestions were in the wake of ongoing geopolitical crisis. The crisis involving Iran, Israel, and the United States had continued for 40 days. “The current conflict between the three nations is unprecedented in scale and it should not be treated lightly,” he said.

He accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of speaking in a casual or dismissive manner about the Prime Minister’s address on this sensitive issue.

Mr. Deve Gowda recalled events from the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The then PM Indira Gandhi called upon citizens to make personal sacrifices due to the prevailing economic hardships.

Sugar was priced at ₹18 per kg and kerosene was sold at ₹12 per litre. Indira Gandhi urged people to reduce consumption — for instance, by skipping tea one day, reducing meals, or cutting down tea intake from twice to once a day.

Mr. Deve Gowda termed the Modi’s current appeal to citizens amid the global crisis as “responsible and measured, aimed at conserving resources during a difficult period.”