Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing attack on the BJP government on Monday, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for national austerity. Yadav characterized the government’s sudden call for restraint as a confession of its own failure to manage India’s economy and foreign policy.
In a detailed post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister argued that the timing of the “crisis” announcement—coming immediately after the elections—suggests the government is attempting to escape accountability.
Key Criticisms of the Economic Strategy
Yadav raised several points challenging the logic of the government’s new directives:
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Impact on the $5 Trillion Goal: He questioned how the government plans to achieve its much-publicized goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy while simultaneously imposing restrictions on consumption and travel.
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Currency and Market Stability: Claiming that the rupee is “sinking deeper” while the dollar “touches the sky,” Yadav warned that the government’s statements would spread panic, anxiety, and fear of recession in the business community.
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Targeting the Common Man: He argued that the appeal to stop buying gold was misplaced, as ordinary citizens are already struggling to buy essentials. He suggested such advice be directed at “corrupt BJP leaders” instead.
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Election Spending vs. Public Sacrifice: Yadav pointed out the perceived hypocrisy in the government’s request, noting that BJP leaders used thousands of chartered flights during the election campaign. “Were those planes flying on water?” he asked, questioning why video conferencing wasn’t used for campaigning if savings were a priority.
Foreign Policy and “Non-Alignment”
Yadav directly blamed the current economic distress on a shift in India’s international relations. He alleged that the BJP government has abandoned India’s traditional policy of non-alignment, instead aligning itself with specific global groups due to external pressures. He claimed this shift has left the country vulnerable to inflation and the energy shocks currently being felt.
The Prime Minister’s Original Appeal
The opposition’s backlash follows Prime Minister Modi’s Sunday address in Telangana, where he urged a revival of the “Covid-era playbook” to conserve foreign exchange and protect the economy from the West Asia conflict. The PM’s suggestions included:
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Switching to Work From Home (WFH) and virtual meetings.
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Using public transport, carpooling, and electric vehicles.
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Postponing gold purchases and non-essential foreign travel for one year.
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Reducing the consumption of edible oil and chemical fertilizers.
While the government maintains these are necessary “crisis management” steps to ensure national self-reliance, Yadav and other opposition leaders maintain that the “only crisis for the country is the BJP.”
