‘Dead Economy’ Jibe Backfires on Rahul Gandhi
Congress Leader's Agreement with Trump Contradicted by Party Colleagues and Allies, BJP Slams Remarks.
- Rahul Gandhi agreed with US President Donald Trump’s “dead economy” remark on India.
- Congress colleagues and allies contradicted Gandhi, defending India’s economic strength.
- BJP criticized Rahul Gandhi for echoing foreign criticism, calling it “shameful.”
- Trump had stated India and Russia “can take their dead economies down together” amid new tariffs.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 31st July: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to leverage US President Donald Trump’s “dead economy” remark to attack the Narendra Modi government has backfired, as his own party colleagues and opposition allies took a contradictory stance, providing the BJP a fresh opportunity to counter the Opposition.
President Trump, a day after announcing 25% tariffs on imports from India, unleashed a new broadside against India and Russia. In a post on Truth Social, he stated, “I don’t care what India does with Russia. 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. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way.”
Shortly after Trump’s comments, Rahul Gandhi told reporters at Parliament, “He is right, everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact.” The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha blamed demonetisation and a “flawed” GST for “killing” the economy, asserting that “Assemble in India” had failed and MSMEs were “wiped out.”
However, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, despite recent snubs from party leadership, took a different stand. Stressing the challenging nature of India-US trade talks, he stated that India has other options like ongoing negotiations with the EU and a concluded deal with the UK. “If America is completely unreasonable with its demands, we have to move elsewhere. That is the strength of India; we are not a totally export-dependent economy like China. We have a good and strong domestic market,” he emphasized.
Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla outright dismissed Trump’s statement as “completely wrong.” “Our economic condition is not at all weak. If someone claims they can finish us economically, it’s likely due to a misunderstanding. Trump is living in a delusion,” he told news agency ANI, also asserting that no country can dictate India’s business partners.
Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and a prominent opposition voice, also slammed Trump’s remark. She stated on X that the Indian economy is among the top five globally, adding that calling it “a dead economy can only come from a position of arrogance or ignorance.” She suggested Trump’s statement was a tactic to close a trade deal.
The BJP swiftly capitalized on the internal dissent within the Opposition. Senior party leader Amit Malviya called Rahul Gandhi’s echoing of Trump’s jibe a “shameful insult to the aspirations, achievements, and well-being of the Indian people.” He asserted that the “only thing truly ‘dead’ here is Rahul Gandhi’s own political credibility and legacy,” highlighting India as the world’s fastest-growing major economy. “Who is Rahul Gandhi really speaking for? Why does he repeat foreign propaganda that undermines India?” Malviya questioned.
BJP leader K. Annamalai drew a direct comparison between Tharoor and Gandhi, stating, “One spoke for India’s Interest, and the other spoke in a tone that would please his offshore masters… He is blind to India’s rise, yet ever eager to echo foreign voices that undermine it.”
