Asheville, September 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has criticised Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for describing the Indian economy as a “dead economy”, saying the remark undermines the hard work of Indian citizens at a time when the country has recorded 7.8 per cent economic growth.
In an exclusive interview with IANS on the sidelines of the G20 Finance Ministers’ meeting here, Sitharaman said opposition parties have every right to question the government but should not disregard the contribution of citizens to the country’s economic performance.
“With these kinds of growth numbers consistently, it is such an odd thing that the Leader of Opposition, Shri Rahul Gandhi, constantly refers to the Indian economy as a dead economy,” she said.
“It just shows poorly as to how he undermines the hard work of the Indian citizens,” the Finance Minister added.
Sitharaman said a strong Opposition was essential in a democracy and acknowledged its responsibility to scrutinise the government.
“It is one thing for an opposition party to constantly question the party in power, and that is only right. In democracy, you need a strong opposition party which speaks,” she said.
However, she appealed to the Opposition to recognise the efforts of citizens driving economic growth.
“I would appeal to the opposition party to take cognisance of the hard work of our citizens and not speak disparagingly about them,” she said.
Asked whether Gandhi’s remarks reflected a lack of economic understanding or political opposition to the government, Sitharaman pointed to the economists associated with the Congress.
“I thought there are quite a few economists within the Congress party who form an economic advisory group,” she said, adding that they could not be unaware of the economic data.
Sitharaman said there were areas where the government’s performance could be improved, but argued that this should not obscure the broader economic picture.
“Every quarter after quarter, we are coming up with good numbers,” she said. “To deny that fact and to speak the opposite of it — it can’t go on for too long.”
The Finance Minister said she was “extremely pleased” with the latest growth figures, describing them as evidence of the resilience and efforts of Indian citizens despite external challenges.
India’s economy was estimated to have grown 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of the 2026-27 financial year. Manufacturing expanded 9.2 per cent, while the financial and professional services sector grew 12.1 per cent, she said. Foreign exchange reserves stood at around $700 billion.
“These are not ordinary numbers,” Sitharaman said, attributing the performance to citizens pursuing their aspirations while contributing to the broader goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.
She expressed confidence that the strong first-quarter performance would support growth through the financial year and that similar momentum could be maintained in the coming quarters.
Sitharaman also credited reforms undertaken by the Narendra Modi government and cooperation from state governments. More than 1,000 laws had been removed and around 40,000 regulations simplified, while the government continued consultations with industry, businesses and trade, she said.
The Finance Minister is in Asheville for the G20 Finance Ministers’ meeting and is also holding bilateral discussions with participating countries and meetings with international investors during her visit to Canada and the United States.
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