PR can polish picture of GDP, but not economy itself: Congress slams Modi government
The Indian National Congress party has criticized the Modi government, alleging that recent GDP growth figures are the result of statistical manipulation rather than economic reality. The party cited former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg to support claims that real growth is significantly lower than reported.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing political debate regarding economic data transparency and the health of the Indian economy.
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.
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