PR can polish picture of GDP, but not economy itself: Congress slams Modi government

The Congress on Wednesday (September 2, 2026) cited former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg's reported remarks on GDP numbers to attack the Modi government, saying it must understand that "PR can polish the picture" of the GDP but not the economy itself.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh shared a video clip of Mr. Garg in which he stated that by revising last year's GDP by as much as ₹6 trillion, the current year's GDP in the first quarter has gone up by around 10.3%.

"If you had not revised last year's GDP, the growth in current prices would have been 2.6%," Mr. Garg told a news channel.

In his post in Hindi on X, Mr. Ramesh said that no matter how much the Modi government beats the drum of its fabricated GDP growth, conjured up through statistical jugglery by its team and media, its true reality will be exposed because what they are claiming is the complete opposite of ground realities.

"Former Finance Secretary Subhash Garg has now burst the bubble on this claim. He assesses that the real GDP growth is around 2.6%, not 7.8%," Mr. Ramesh said.

"We want the economy to truly be strong, but the path to a strong economy doesn't come from embellishing numbers fabricated on a foundation of lies - it comes from accepting the truth," the Congress leader said.

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The government should first acknowledge the real economic situation, then undertake reforms - jobs should be created for the youth, MSMEs and private investment should be boosted, demand and incomes should rise, economic inequality should decrease, and instead of promoting crony capitalists, fair competition should be ensured, Mr. said.

"The Modi government must understand: PR can polish the picture of GDP, but not the economy itself," the Congress general secretary said.

"It's clear that on the very GDP for which Mr. Modi is urging citizens to burst crackers and celebrate Diwali, serious questions are being raised by his own former Finance Secretary," Mr. Ramesh said.

Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also lashed out at the Modi government over Mr. Garg's remarks.

"Subhash Garg has punctured the government's tall claims of 7.8% GDP growth, arguing that India's real GDP growth is closer to 2.6%. His contention is even more damning: the previous year's GDP growth was revised downward, making this year's growth rate look stronger by comparison," Mr. Khera said on X.

His assessment seems far closer to the lived reality of ordinary Indians - rising prices, falling purchasing power, shrinking disposable incomes and savings, stagnant job opportunities, and rising household debt, he said.

"These claims cannot simply be dismissed. They come from someone who served as Finance and Economic Affairs Secretary of the Government of India under Modi between 2017 and 2019," Mr. said.

"The government now owes the country a clear explanation: Why were last year's GDP numbers revised downward? Why is it fudging numbers? What is the real GDP growth?" he said.

The Congress on Tuesday (September 1, 2026) termed the latest GDP numbers released by the government as "statistical gymnastics" and said the Make in India initiative has achieved very little, but the Modi government's signature "Fake in India" scheme continues unabated.

Mr. Ramesh had claimed that if the Modi government gives out "honest numbers", the real growth number would be much lower.

India's economy grew at 7.8% in the April-June quarter, showing resilience despite concerns that the war in Iran and resulting global uncertainty could weigh on domestic economic momentum.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the GDP growth a "herculean feat".

Gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter of the 2026-27 fiscal year slowed from a barnstorming 8.6% in the previous quarter, but remained well above expectations when the conflict erupted and disrupted energy markets.

The Congress had said the 7.8% GDP growth in the April-June quarter is "not an economic spring" and claimed it presents a "Greatly Distorted Picture" of the state of India's economy as it doesn't convey the "depressed" investment sentiment.