The Congress on Wednesday accused the Narendra Modi government of “fudging” economic data and demanded an explanation for revisions to the previous year’s GDP figures, citing former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg’s claim that the changes had made the latest growth rate appear stronger.

“Subhash Garg has punctured the government’s tall claims of 7.8% GDP growth, arguing that India’s real GDP growth is closer to 2.6%,” Congress leader Pawan Khera wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“His contention is even more damning: the previous year’s GDP growth was revised downward, making this year’s growth rate look stronger by comparison.”

Khera said Garg’s assessment appeared closer to “the lived reality of ordinary Indians”, pointing to “rising prices, falling purchasing power, shrinking disposable incomes and savings, stagnant job opportunities, and rising household debt”.

“These claims cannot simply be dismissed. They come from someone who served as Finance and Economic Affairs Secretary of the Government of India under Modi between 2017 and 2019,” he said.

“The government now owes the country a clear explanation: Why were last year’s GDP numbers revised downward? Why is it fudging numbers? What is the real GDP growth?”

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress’s general secretary in-charge of communications, launched a similar attack.

“The Modi government will only expose its true reality as much as it beats the drum of fabricated GDP growth, conjured up through statistical sleight of hand by its team and media, because this is the complete opposite of ground realities,” Ramesh wrote, also citing Garg’s interview to NDTV.

Source: telegraphindia