Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday directly rebutted a media report claiming the government was weighing a levy on foreign travel, calling it 'totally false,' as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday urged citizens to remain alert amid ongoing concerns over dollar and gold markets. The episode marked one of the rare instances of a sitting Prime Minister personally fact-checking a financial news story on X (formerly Twitter).

What the Report Claimed

CNBC-TV18 had published a report stating that a proposal to levy a cess, tax, or surcharge on foreign travel was being discussed at the 'highest levels' of the government. The report linked the proposed measure to cushioning the fiscal impact of the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran and mitigating higher crude oil and import costs. It also stated that the cess would flow directly to the Centre and would remain in place for one year, and that the finance ministry had not responded to queries on the proposal.

PM Modi's Direct Rebuttal on X

Responding directly to the outlet's post on X, Prime Minister Modi wrote: 'This is totally false. Not an iota of truth in this. There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel. We remain committed to improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for our people.' Within minutes of the Prime Minister's post, CNBC-TV18 issued a retraction, stating: 'Our story on government considering tax/cess on foreign travel is not accurate. We withdraw the story and regret the error.'

BJP Leaders Weigh In

Senior BJP leader Dilip Kumar Jaiswal said the Prime Minister had already clarified the matter. 'PM Modi has appealed to all citizens of the country regarding the ongoing concerns related to the dollar and gold markets, urging them to remain alert and cautious in order to keep India's economy strong,' he said.

Senior BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain criticised the spread of what he called misinformation. 'There is no need for anyone to spread any kind of rumours. The Prime Minister has already posted about this and clearly stated that there is no need to misrepresent things that the government has not done,' Hussain said.

Bihar Deputy CM Targets Opposition

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary alleged that the Opposition was deliberately misleading the public. 'Without any basis, the Opposition was claiming that the government is going to impose a tax on foreign travel, just to mislead the citizens. The Prime Minister himself has clarified the situation, stating that the government has no such intention,' Choudhary said. He further alleged that the Opposition, 'continuously out of power and repeatedly rejected by the public,' was acting out of 'despair and frustration.'

Context: PM Modi's Earlier Appeal on Fiscal Prudence

The controversy follows an appeal PM Modi made on Sunday, urging citizens to conserve petrol, diesel, and foreign exchange reserves by using public transport, avoiding unnecessary foreign travel, and refraining from non-essential gold purchases. Critics argue that appeal may have provided fertile ground for speculation about a formal travel levy, which the CNBC-TV18 report subsequently — and incorrectly — reported as policy under consideration. The swift retraction and the Prime Minister's personal intervention are likely to sharpen scrutiny of sourcing standards in financial journalism going forward.