Economy needs relief, not austerity: BSP’s Akash Anand on PM call

Lucknow: Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s austerity appeal, BSP national convener Akash Anand on Thursday said that at a time when the economy is under strain, the govt should work to boost demand rather than suppress it further.In a post on X, Anand said the country needed “not an appeal but a clear way ahead”. He said people wanted answers on when economic growth would return, jobs would increase, and farmers, small traders and the middle class would receive tangible relief.“Governance is not only about asking people to sacrifice,” Anand said, adding that the national interest lay in “accountability, foresight and economic balance”.His remarks came two days after BSP president Mayawati also reacted to the Prime Minister’s appeal, a post that Anand reposted.

Anand rarely issues independent political statements and usually limits himself to amplifying Mayawati’s views.His comments over the past two days — first on the NEET paper leak and then on the economy — are being seen as a possible attempt to regain visibility in active politics.Within the BSP, public statements are traditionally made only by the party chief, and the party does not have an official spokesperson beyond Mayawati.

Anand’s intervention on national issues is therefore significant, especially as he has previously faced removal from party responsibilities for straying from the party line.Referring to economic indicators, Anand said foreign exchange reserves fell by nearly $38 billion in the last three months to about $690 billion, the rupee crossed 95 against the dollar, and the trade deficit was continuing to widen. He said these were not abstract figures but reflected the everyday anxieties of ordinary families.Acknowledging that the global economic climate remained difficult, Anand said history showed that when momentum slowed, govts typically responded with tax relief, support for small traders and measures to reduce the burden on the middle class in order to raise purchasing power.Echoing Mayawati’s emphasis on the hardships faced by common people since the Covid pandemic, he said honest taxpayers were again being made scapegoats without clarity on what relief the govt planned to provide.He also urged both central and state govts to curb freebies, strengthen fiscal discipline and prioritise productive capital creation, warning that short-term political gains could result in long-term economic damage. Anand also held the govt and agencies responsible for the NEET examination accountable for the paper leak.