Madhya Pradesh High Court Judge Cycles To Court After PM Modi’s Fuel Saving Appeal

In a symbolic response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal for fuel conservation, Justice Dwarka Dhish Bansal cycled to the Jabalpur Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday amid rising concerns over the global fuel crisis linked to the ongoing US-Iran conflict.

Justice Bansal travelled around three kilometres from his official residence in Jabalpur’s Civil Lines area to the High Court premises on a bicycle. A court staff member accompanied him during the journey. The move came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly urged citizens to reduce unnecessary fuel consumption and adopt sustainable commuting methods.

After reaching the court, Justice Bansal shared a video message explaining the reason behind his decision. He said the Prime Minister’s recent speeches on the global economic situation and fuel crisis encouraged him to take a practical step that could inspire ordinary citizens to save fuel wherever possible.

“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.

Justice Bansal also highlighted that judges should not consider themselves separate from public responsibilities. He mentioned that he occasionally cycles around Jabalpur with Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and said adopting simple habits like cycling was not difficult.

“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 added.

The Prime Minister, during public events in Secunderabad and Vadodara over the last two days, expressed concern about the economic pressure arising from tensions in West Asia and the increase in global crude oil prices. He stated that India must act carefully to reduce the impact on fuel imports and foreign exchange reserves.

Apart from fuel conservation, the Prime Minister also advised people to avoid unnecessary spending and encouraged greater use of public transport, electric vehicles, and bicycles for short-distance travel. He further suggested that certain sectors could again consider work-from-home arrangements to reduce fuel usage caused by daily commuting.

The incident quickly drew attention on social media, with several users describing Justice Bansal’s action as a practical example of public officials participating in national efforts during a period of economic uncertainty.