MP High Court Judge Cycles to Court After PM Modi’s Fuel-Saving Appeal, Video Goes Viral | WATCH

Madhya Pradesh: At a time when soaring fuel costs and the global energy crisis dominate headlines, a Madhya Pradesh High Court judge chose to make a modest but powerful statement on Jabalpur's streets.  

Justice Dwarka Dhish Bansal of the Madhya Pradesh High Court's Jabalpur Bench was seen riding a bicycle to court on Tuesday, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent call to citizens to preserve fuel in light of the continuing US-Iran confrontation and the greater West Asia problem.

The judge rode his bicycle roughly three miles from his official house in the Civil Lines area to the High Court grounds. He was escorted by a member of the court staff throughout the travel.

Soon after, videos of Justice Bansal cycling to court began circulating widely on social media, drawing attention for the message behind the gesture.

“I felt I should cycle to High Court and give a message” 

Speaking in a video shared online after reaching the court, Justice Bansal explained why he chose to leave his official vehicle behind and ride a cycle instead.

“I’ve been seeing since two days, looking at the global crisis, Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji has appealed to save fuel among other things. Keeping it in mind, I felt I should cycle to High Court and give a message to the common man to use cycle to commute whenever possible for shorter distances,” he said.

The judge also revealed that cycling is not new for him. According to Justice Bansal, he often cycles around Jabalpur along with Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva.

“I keep cycling with Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva sometimes around the city of Jabalpur. I don’t think it’s much work to cycle. Just because we are High Court judges doesn’t mean we are special,” he said.

PM Modi had urged people to avoid unnecessary fuel use

Justice Bansal's decision comes only days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued repeated public appeals for citizens to save fuel as global conflicts continue to impact world crude oil prices.

While speaking at events in Secunderabad and Vadodara over the previous two days, the Prime Minister stated that India must exercise caution because the ongoing West Asia crisis may increase pressure on the country's import bill and foreign exchange reserves.

He asked citizens to reduce excessive gasoline usage, take public transportation if possible, and opt for cycling or electric automobiles for short-distance trips. PM Modi also proposed cutting non-essential spending and promoting work-from-home practices in appropriate areas to reduce travel-related fuel usage.