‘Too much vikas’: Rahul Gandhi stings govt; uses GDP, employment data

Gandhi’s tweet attack comes after the National Statistical Office (NSO) released the first advanced estimate that predicted India’s gross domestic product (GDP) could contract by 7.7% during his financial year.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday took a sharp swipe at the government over revised estimates that indicate the economy could contract by 7.7 per cent this financial year, contrasting the decline in the gross domestic product and per capita income with an unemployment rate of 9.1. “Too much vikas,” said Rahul Gandhi’s punchline on Twitter.

Saturday’s tweet attack by Rahul Gandhi was part of his effort to keep the narrative against the government focused on the economic slowdown, jobs and other issues confronting the common people. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Gandhi’s tweet attack comes after the National Statistical Office (NSO) released the first advanced estimate that predicted India’s gross domestic product (GDP) could contract by 7.7% during his financial year.

This is 20 basis points more than the 7.5% contraction projected by the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee. If the economy mirrors the projections of the government’s leading statistical body, it would be India’s worst economic performance in at least 60 years.

India’s official estimate, however, shows a much better performance than the predictions made by multilateral agencies such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, which have projected (-)9.6% and (-)10.3% respectively.

Saturday’s tweet attack by Rahul Gandhi was part of his effort to keep the narrative against the government focused on the economic slowdown, jobs and other issues confronting the common people.

In his continued attacks on the government, the Congress leader had previously slammed the government’s response to the ongoing farmers’ agitation.

“The Modi government has betrayed the ‘annadata’ of the country for the benefit of their capitalist friends. The farmers have spoken through their agitation. It is the duty of all of us to raise the voice of the ‘annadata’ and support their demands,” he tweeted in Hindi.

“Peaceful agitation is an integral part of democracy. The farmers’ movement is getting support from all over the country. You too should raise your voice in their support and strengthen the voice of farmers so that the anti-agriculture laws are repealed,” he said in another tweet.