New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday, August 3, hit back at US President Donald Trump’s controversial "dead economy" comment on India, using IMF data to showcase strong economic growth and taking a sharp dig at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for "agreeing" with the remark.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya led the counteroffensive, dismissing the criticism as "politically motivated and factually baseless".
BJP Cites IMF Report, Mocks Rahul Gandhi for Endorsing Trump
Sharing the latest World Economic Outlook update by the International Monetary Fund, Malviya pointed out that India remains the fastest-growing major economy in the world, with projected growth of 6.7% in 2025 and 6.4% in 2026, second only to China among developing countries.
Posting on X, Malviya wrote, “India continues to be the fastest-growing economy in the world, confirmed yet again by the IMF’s World Economic Outlook update for July 2025. The only thing dead is Rahul Gandhi’s self-respect and, if it exists, his brain.”
Trump had triggered controversy after posting on Truth Social, “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world.”
Rahul Gandhi Agrees With Trump’s Remark, Tharoor Distances Himself
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi welcomed Trump’s comment, saying outside Parliament, “Yes, he is right. Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact.”
However, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor appeared to offer a more cautious response, suggesting that Gandhi may have had his “own reasons” for making such a statement, without endorsing the sentiment directly.
