New Delhi: The BJP on Friday took a sharp dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him the “Leader of Pessimism,” following the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) positive assessment of India’s economy. The IMF highlighted that India’s third-quarter growth exceeded expectations, reaffirming the country as a “key growth engine” globally.
BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan, in a post on X, questioned whether Gandhi would now apologise to the nation for “maliciously lying and badmouthing the Indian economy.” He said the IMF’s praise is a “resounding rebuke” to Gandhi’s earlier remarks and accused him of attempting to undermine India’s growth for political gain.
Rahul Gandhi had in August last year described the Indian economy as “dead,” echoing former US President Donald Trump’s critique of India’s oil imports from Russia. Gandhi had said, “Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy… everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister,” a statement that drew strong backlash from ruling party leaders.
Responding to India’s growth, Julie Kozack, Director of the IMF Communications Department, noted that India’s growth for the 2025-26 fiscal year had been projected at 6.6%, largely driven by strong domestic consumption. “The third-quarter growth came out stronger than expected, making it likely the IMF will revise its forecast upwards,” she said.
The BJP’s criticism reflects the ongoing political battle over economic narratives ahead of upcoming elections, with the ruling party emphasizing India’s robust growth and the opposition highlighting challenges.
As India continues to post resilient economic numbers, the debate over the country’s growth story is expected to remain a central talking point in the political discourse.
