India, Aug. 17 -- BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla raised concerns over the financial burden on India's middle class and questioned whether taxpayers receive public services matching the taxes they pay, a day before he publicly announced his resignation as a party spokesperson.

In a video posted on Instagram as part of his social media initiative, 'The Manifesto', Poonawalla said the middle class had effectively become an "ATM" for the government, paying income tax, indirect taxes and tolls without receiving adequate public services in return.

Poonawalla's remarks came a day before he put out a statement saying he had resigned as a BJP spokesperson, with his resignation pending approval. He said he had submitted his resignation on July 30 ...