IMF Praises India’s Economy, BJP Questions if ‘Leader of Pessimism’ Rahul Gandhi Will Apologize

New Delhi: Following the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) commendation of India’s economic growth, the BJP has launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi. The party accused him of spreading pessimism about the Indian economy and demanded that he publicly apologize to the nation for calling India a “dead economy.”

‘Will the Leader of Pessimism Apologize?’
Reacting to the IMF’s praise, BJP national spokesperson C.R. Keshavan posted on X, targeting Rahul Gandhi: “Will the LoP, the leader of pessimism, who deliberately spread falsehoods and spoke ill of our Indian economy, now publicly apologize to the country and its people?”

Keshavan added, “The IMF’s recognition of India’s economy delivers a resounding response to Rahul Gandhi’s false narratives and poor political agenda, which attempted to downplay our nation’s remarkable progress and development. Indians repeatedly reject him because, to further his narrow, failed political agenda, he shamelessly disparages and maligns India without remorse.”

Background: Rahul Gandhi and the ‘Dead Economy’ Comment
Rahul Gandhi has been a vocal critic of the Modi government’s policies. Last year, when former U.S. President Donald Trump referred to India’s oil imports from Russia as a ‘dead economy,’ Rahul Gandhi echoed Trump’s remarks. He had said, “Everyone knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad President Trump stated the facts. The whole world knows the Indian economy is a dead economy — everyone knows it, except the Prime Minister and Finance Minister.”

The BJP’s attack underscores how the IMF’s recognition of India as a key engine of global growth has become a political talking point ahead of the upcoming electoral cycles.