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New Delhi/Mumbai: On Sunday, May 10, after the assembly elections were over, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Indians to embrace Covid-era restraint amid economic pressures from the West Asia conflict. He urged reduced petrol and diesel use, work-from-home where possible, virtual meetings, postponed foreign travel and gold purchases for a year, and greater reliance on domestic products to conserve foreign exchange.

But Modi’s own schedule that day highlighted a gap between his appeals for collective sacrifice and the logistics of his extravagant political and ceremonial activities.

Modi began the day in Bengaluru, participating in events including the 45th anniversary celebrations of The Art of Living. He then flew to Hyderabad, arriving at Begumpet Airport around 2:20 pm. Shortly after, he proceeded with project launches and foundation stone-laying ceremonies, covering roads, railways, petroleum terminals, textiles and industrial areas. None of these events were essential to governance that needed his physical presence and could not have been conducted virtually from his office in New Delhi.

He then travelled by helicopter to HITEC City to inaugurate Sindhu Hospital, a large private, not-for-profit........

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