Raj Thackeray Questions PM’s Austerity Appeal
“My request to the Prime Minister is enough with these moral appeals and the expectation that the people alone must bear the burden": Raj Thackeray
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latter’s appeals on austerity measures saying it was time to acknowledge that the country’s economy has become fragile instead of blaming the US-Israel-Iran conflict. Why austerity measures are expected solely from the general public while politicians engage in lavish election campaigns, he asked on Tuesday.
“My request to the Prime Minister is enough with these moral appeals and the expectation that the people alone must bear the burden. Let us acknowledge, once and for all, that the economy has become outwardly robust but inwardly fragile and do not simply pin the blame for this entirely on the Iran-Israel conflict,” said Thackeray in a hard-hitting post on X.
“Since you became the Prime Minister, the Rupee has undergone significant devaluation; please explain the reasons behind this. During your ten-year tenure, three Governors of the Reserve Bank resigned – why did they step down?” he asked.
“The foreign investors have been withdrawing from the Indian stock market over the past few months. Estimates suggest that foreign investors have pulled out approximately ₹1.5 lakh crore over the last three months alone. Foreign investment is not flowing into India. The Prime Minister and his Chief Ministers merely sign investment agreements by often traveling to countries with pleasant climates,” Thackeray stated.
The MNS chief took aim at PM Modi’s advice to reduce gold purchases, cut fuel consumption and avoid foreign travel amid the West Asia crisis and the draining of foreign exchange reserves. “Why should the common man suffer for your mistakes? Is austerity meant only for the citizens and never for the political class?” he asked.
Thackeray further challenged PM Modi to cancel his upcoming multi-country foreign tour scheduled for May 15. “First cancel these travels and then preach austerity,” he added.
Drawing a parallel with former PM late Manmohan Singh, the MNS chief said, “Manmohan Singh was the Reserve Bank governor and a scholar too, yet he believed in listening to experts. You haven’t even run a simple business, so how will you understand this? We have heard enough of your ‘Mann Ki Baat’; now, please listen to the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ of genuine economists as well.”
Speaking on his comments, BJP spokesperson Navnath Ban criticized Thackeray for questioning PM Modi’s appeal for austerity and asked him to focus on strengthening his own struggling party. Thackeray is ignoring the ‘disarray’ within his party while commenting on national issues, Ban said.