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BJP blasts Rahul Gandhi for backing Trump's ‘dead’ Indian economy remark: ‘Shameful’
BJP leader Amit Malviya said that “the only thing truly 'dead' here is Rahul Gandhi's own political credibility and legacy”.
Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has drawn flak from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for agreeing with US President Donald Trump's 'dead' Indian economy remark, calling his statement on the matter "shameful".
Hours after announcing the 25 per cent tariff on India, plus a penalty over its Russian purchases, Trump said he does not care what New Delhi does with Moscow.
"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," he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
When asked about Trump's 'dead' economy remark, Rahul Gandhi told reporters in the Parliament House complex that the US President 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... The entire world knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy," Gandhi added.
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He not only made the remarks in front of reporters but also took to his X handle and posted, "THE INDIAN ECONOMY IS DEAD. Modi killed it."
"Modi has destroyed the future of India's youth because there are no jobs," Gandhi added while listing five things, including demonetisation and GST.
Rahul Gandhi's political credibility ‘dead’
The X handle of the BJP's Karnataka unit reshared Rahul Gandhi's 'Indian economy is dead' post and said that it was the Congress leader's political future that is dead.
"It’s not the economy that’s dead, brother, it’s your political future that’s dead. That smug smirk of yours doesn’t hide anything - it only reveals the deep hatred you have for our nation," it added.
Reacting to the Congress MP's remarks, BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said that Rahul Gandhi hit a "new low" by echoing Trump's 'dead economy' jibe. He said that it was a "shameful insult to the aspirations, achievements, and well-being of the Indian people".
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"But let's be honest -- the only thing truly 'dead' here is Rahul Gandhi's own political credibility and legacy," he added.
Malviya further cited data showing India's growth in various sectors and said, "This is not a dead economy. This is a surging, resilient India."
He said that despite a massive ongoing global showdown, India continues to be the world's fastest-growing economy, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank revising their growth projections for the nation upwards.
Malviya alleged that Rahul Gandhi's "constant attempts" to demean India's economic growth are not mere "political jabs", but "direct insults" to the 140 crore Indians working hard to build a better future.
"Who is Rahul Gandhi really speaking for? Why does he repeat foreign propaganda that undermines India?" he asked.
The BJP leader said that it was time to call out the "Nehru-Gandhi dynasty's deep-rooted inferiority complex", saying that it has for decades chained India to a low ambition and foreign appeasement.
"No more. New India believes in itself -- even if Rahul Gandhi will never," he added.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said that making anti-India statements has become Rahul Gandhi's "mentality".
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"Whenever anyone makes an anti-India statement in the world, he grabs it," the former Union minister added.
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that by publicly backing Trump's "slur", Rahul Gandhi has crossed all limits. "Whose side is he really on?" Patra asked.
In a post on X, he said, "While the world recognises India’s aspiration, achievement, and wellbeing, Rahul Gandhi seems intent on running it down."
Patra listed a few data points, including the IMF upgrading India's growth forecast to 6.9 per cent for 2025. "World Bank calls India the "standout growth story" of the decade. Inflation is at a 6-year low. PMI is at a 17.5-year high," he added.
"Rahul Gandhi is attempting to chip away at India’s collective spirit of its ambition & achievements but he’s simply out of sync with a nation chasing its dreams with determination," Patra wrote.
BJP leader Annamalai, on the other hand, compared Rahul Gandhi's remarks to those of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. He said that "one spoke for India's interest (Tharoor), and the other spoke in a tone that would please his offshore masters (Gandhi)".
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Annamalai took to X and posted that the while the world heaps praises on India "as the only bright spot on the otherwise dark horizon", the LoP feels otherwise.
"LoP Thiru Rahul Gandhi avl continues to wear ignorance like a badge of honour. He is blind to India's rise, yet ever eager to echo foreign voices that undermine it," he added.
BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said that by echoing Trump's 'dead' Indian economy remark, "Rahul Gandhi hates Bharat. Rahul Gandhi hates Indians. No right-minded Indian would say what Rahul Gandhi has said."
