“You Are Not a Child”: Rijiju Hits Back at Rahul Gandhi

• Union Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for endorsing Donald Trump’s “dead economy” remark on India.
• Rijiju urged Gandhi to act with the understanding of an opposition leader and not harm the country’s image.
• Gandhi had stated that everyone, except PM Modi and Finance Minister Sitharaman, knows that the Indian economy is “dead.”

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 1st July: Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, today hit out at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for echoing US President Donald Trump’s criticism of the Indian economy. Rijiju stated that the opposition leader is “not a child” and has a responsibility to uphold the nation’s honor and image.

Rijiju’s comments came after Gandhi backed Trump’s “dead economy” remark, which the US President made while announcing a new 25% tariff on Indian goods. Gandhi told reporters that “everybody knows” the Indian economy is “dead” except for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, adding that he was “glad that President Trump has stated a fact.”

“Rahul Gandhi is giving statements against the country,” Rijiju told reporters. “India’s economy and image cannot be harmed like this… It is everyone’s responsibility to maintain the country’s honour and image. The Opposition leader should have this much understanding.”

The BJP has also strongly criticized Gandhi, calling his remarks a “shameful” insult to the country’s aspirations and achievements. Amit Malviya, a senior BJP leader, said that while India remains the world’s fastest-growing major economy, “the only thing truly ‘dead’ here is Rahul Gandhi’s own political credibility and legacy.”

The Congress leader’s comments also faced disagreement from within his own party. Senior Congress leaders Rajeev Shukla and Shashi Tharoor publicly rejected Trump’s “dead economy” jibe, with Shukla calling the US President “wrong” and living in a “delusion.”