NEW DELHI: Union agriculture minister Shivraj Chouhan Saturday countered US President Donald Trump's description of India as a "dead economy,", saying the latest GDP figures showed that "India is a long live economy" on the path to becoming developed and self-reliant. Trump's statement was endorsed by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi who, too, had said "Indian economy is dead".
Besides Chouhan, BJP said the latest data showing India's economy grew by a stronger-than-expected 7.8% in April-June came as the "hardest slap of reality" for Rahul. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "This is a slap in the face for those who made false statements to defame India, especially the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi who should apologise to the nation."
Govt data released Friday showed that the Indian economy grew by 7.8% in April-June - the highest in five quarters - before the disruptive US tariffs were imposed.
Echoing Chouhan, urban affairs minister Manohar Lal Khattar Saturday said at an event that a big country was talking about sanctions and tariff. "Today there was a jolt to that system when India recorded a 7.8% growth in GDP in the first quarter when people felt that we would be down. If we grow like this, the skeptics will shut their mouths".
GDP growth in the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal was mainly due to good performance by the farm sector.
"Those who call it a 'dead economy' should now understand that India is a 'long live economy' which is on the path to realising the dream of a developed and fully self-reliant India," Chouhan said in a post on X. "The sweat of Indian farmers, the hard work of our scientists and 140 crore Indians have demonstrated their capabilities."
BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya said, "For the acerbic, delusional, frustrated, and rejected Rahul Gandhi - the same man who declared India a 'dead economy' - the latest GDP numbers are the hardest slap of reality."
"India has just clocked 7.8% GDP growth in Q1 of FY 2025-26, leading the world's major economies," Malviya said in a post on X. The only thing "dead" is Rahul Gandhi's credibility, he claimed.
Attacking govt over US President Donald Trump's criticism of the Indian economy, Rahul recently said that everybody except PM Narendra Modi and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman knew that the country's economy was "dead".
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