Kharge hits back at Modi over 7.8% GDP growth, says ‘PR on economy’ is ‘lights, camera and inaction’
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his praise of India's 7.8 per cent GDP growth, accusing the government of celebrating economic numbers while people continue to face unemployment, high prices and inequality.
Reacting to a video posted by Modi on the state of the economy, Kharge said the prime minister's approach to economic issues was marked by "lights, camera and inaction".
"Nothing has changed except your ability to lie to the people!" Kharge said in a post on X.
Kharge said the country's economic performance could not be judged by GDP growth alone and claimed that ordinary people were dealing with what he described as three "Us" — "Unprecedented Unemployment, Unbearable Price Rise and Unbridled Inequality".
The Congress chief claimed unemployment remained a major concern, saying the rate was at a 50-year high and that a large proportion of young graduates remained without jobs. He also referred to labour market data for July, saying one in six Indians aged between 15 and 29 was unemployed.
Kharge also criticised the government's handling of prices, pointing to the cost of essential food items including sugar, onions, tomatoes, pulses, cooking oil, rice and milk.
"Petrol, Diesel, LPG and CNG is becoming unaffordable. Middle class families are somehow battling to survive and the poor has given up hope," he said.
On inequality, Kharge claimed that the wealth gap had widened significantly, alleging that the richest one per cent owned 40 per cent of India's total wealth while the bottom 50 per cent accounted for only 15 per cent.
He also accused the government of favouring large corporations and referred to corporate loan write-offs since 2014. Kharge cited a recent insolvency case in which, he claimed, creditors recovered only Rs 6.5 crore against admitted claims of Rs 22,006 crore.
Kharge further criticised Modi's recent appeal to people to avoid unnecessary foreign travel and gold purchases, saying such remarks reflected the economic pressures faced by households.
The Congress president's remarks came a day after Modi welcomed India's 7.8 per cent GDP growth in the April-June quarter of 2026-27.
In a video message on Instagram, Modi congratulated people for the growth figure and said it was particularly significant given global turmoil, geopolitical conflicts and supply chain disruptions.
Modi said India needed to maintain its growth momentum and focus on self-reliance and "Swadeshi". He also criticised what he described as pessimism surrounding the Indian economy, saying the latest growth figures had challenged that narrative.
India's GDP grew 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year, according to government data. The growth rate was lower than the 8.6 per cent recorded in the previous quarter but remained above expectations.
Modi described the latest growth figure as a "herculean feat" and said India's economic progress had continued despite global instability.
The exchange between Modi and Kharge comes amid a wider political debate over the interpretation of India's latest economic data, with the government highlighting the strong GDP growth rate and the Congress focusing on employment, prices, household finances and inequality.