2 hrs ago
Rijiju Rebukes Congress as GDP Numbers Face Political Challenge
India said its economy grew by 7.8 per cent between April and June.
This was slower than the 8.6 per cent growth recorded in the previous quarter.
It was still higher than many people expected.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the result as a major achievement.
Congress argued that changes to older GDP figures made the new growth number look better.
Former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said the revision added about 10.3 per cent to the latest-quarter figure.
Congress also said the number did not show weak investment sentiment.
Kiren Rijiju rejected Congress’s criticism and said it had lost touch with reality.
India’s economy grew 7.8 per cent in the April-June quarter of fiscal 2026-27, exceeding expectations.
Growth slowed from 8.6 per cent in the previous quarter but was described as resilient amid concerns linked to the war in West Asia.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju accused Congress of being intoxicated or blinded by opposition to India’s growth and disconnected from ground reality.
Congress cited former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, who said revisions to last year’s GDP increased the latest-quarter figure by about 10.3 per cent.
Congress called the growth figure a distorted picture that failed to reflect depressed investment sentiment, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a “herculean feat.”
- Who
- Union minister Kiren Rijiju, the Indian National Congress, Jairam Ramesh, Subhash Chandra Garg and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were involved in or cited in the debate.
- What
- Rijiju criticized Congress for questioning reported 7.8 per cent GDP growth, while Congress challenged the calculation and significance of the figure.
- Where
- The remarks and responses were made in posts on X; the reports were datelined New Delhi.
- When
- The dispute was reported on September 2, 2026, after the April-June quarter GDP figures were released.
- Why
- Congress argued that revisions to previous GDP data and weak investment sentiment made the headline growth figure misleading, while Rijiju and Modi defended the broader growth result.
Congress’s View
Government’s View
Reliability of GDP figures
Congress’s View
Congress said revisions to earlier data and alleged statistical jugglery made the reported growth rate misleading and disconnected from ground realities.
Government’s View
Kiren Rijiju defended the reported growth and accused Congress of blindly rejecting India’s economic progress.
Meaning of 7.8 per cent growth
Congress’s View
Congress said the figure was not an economic spring and did not convey depressed investment sentiment.
Government’s View
The government presented the figure as evidence of economic resilience despite concerns related to the war in West Asia.
Effect of GDP revisions
Congress’s View
Subhash Chandra Garg said revising the previous year’s GDP by about Rs 6 trillion significantly lifted the apparent current-year growth rate.
Government’s View
The articles report that Rijiju and Modi supported the broader growth result, but do not provide a detailed government response to Garg’s specific calculation.
Key facts
- Reported GDP growth
- 7.8 per cent in the April-June quarter of fiscal 2026-27.
- Previous-quarter growth
- 8.6 per cent.
- Rijiju’s criticism
- He asked whether Congress was in a state of deep intoxication or had lost touch with ground reality because of opposition to India’s growth.
- Congress’s criticism
- Congress said public relations could polish the GDP picture but not the economy itself, and described the figure as distorted.
- GDP revision claim
- Subhash Chandra Garg said revising the previous year’s GDP by about Rs 6 trillion raised the current year’s first-quarter figure by around 10.3 per cent.
- Alternative calculation
- Garg said growth at current prices would have been 2.6 per cent without the revision to the previous year’s GDP.
- Prime minister’s reaction
- Narendra Modi called the reported growth a “herculean feat.”
Quotes
Subhash Chandra Garg
Former finance secretary cited by Congress in its criticism of the GDP calculation
“Is the Congress in a state of deep intoxication due to drinking too much beer or Congressmen are so swayed by their blind loathing of India's growth that they have lost touch with the ground reality?”
freepressjournal.in
theprint.in
“Had you not revised last year's GDP, the growth in current prices would have been 2.6 per cent.”
freepressjournal.in
theprint.in
Sources
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