‘Economy Is Roaring’: BJP Hits Back at Rahul Gandhi After IMF Assessment

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday launched a sharp political attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi following the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) assertion that India remains a key driver of global economic growth, with the country’s third-quarter performance exceeding expectations.

Reacting to the IMF’s remarks, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said the assessment directly contradicted Gandhi’s earlier claim that the Indian economy was “dead.” In a post on social media platform X, Malviya described the IMF’s findings as “terrible news” for the Congress leader, adding that global data painted a very different picture.

“The IMF says otherwise. Far from collapsing, India’s economy is resilient, growing strongly, and outperforming expectations. Once again, the pessimism of the Congress leadership stands exposed, contradicted by international institutions and hard economic data,” Malviya said.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also criticised Gandhi, saying the IMF had once again “fact-checked” his remarks on the state of the Indian economy. Using sharp language, Poonawalla accused the Congress leader of damaging India’s global image through what he described as repeated negative portrayals of the country’s economic performance.

IMF Assessment

The IMF on Thursday said India continues to be a key growth engine for the global economy, citing stronger-than-expected growth in the third quarter. Julie Kozack, Director of the IMF’s Communications Department, made the remarks while responding to questions on India’s economic outlook for 2025 during a press briefing.

Kozack said the IMF’s latest assessment, conducted as part of its Article IV Staff Report, projects India’s economic growth at 6.6 per cent for the 2025–26 financial year. The forecast, she noted, is largely anchored in robust domestic consumption, which continues to support overall economic momentum.

The IMF’s comments come amid ongoing political debate in India over economic performance, with the ruling BJP using the global body’s assessment to counter opposition criticism and reinforce its narrative of sustained growth and resilience.