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The BJP called Rahul Gandhi a “hypocrite” and a “liar” after the Congress leader repeated Donald Trump’s “dead economy” jibe for India while talking about textile industries.
Congress leader and LoP Rahul Gandhi. (Image: PTI/File)
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi stoked a major controversy on Friday by repeating US President Donald Trump’s ‘dead economy’ jibe for India, saying the Centre must wake up to save the country’s textile industry from the 50% tariffs imposed on Indian goods over Russian oil purchases. His remarks led to strong criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Taking to X, Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not offering any relief or even addressing the issue of businesses being affected by tariffs. “50% US tariffs and uncertainty are badly hurting India’s textile exporters. Job losses, factory shutdowns and reduced orders are a reality of our ‘Dead Economy’,” he said.
“Mr Modi has offered no relief or even spoken about tariffs, even though more than 4.5 crore jobs and lakhs of businesses are at stake. Modi ji, you are accountable; please direct your attention to this matter!”
50% US tariffs and uncertainty are badly hurting India’s textile exporters. Job losses, factory shutdowns and reduced orders are a reality of our ‘Dead Economy’.Mr. Modi has offered no relief or even spoken about tariffs, even though more than 4.5 crore jobs and lakhs of… pic.twitter.com/5BcG3AZibg
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 23, 2026
Gandhi’s remarks come as Washington and New Delhi continue high-stakes negotiations aimed at resolving a prolonged trade standoff marked by tariffs, geopolitical tensions and disputes over energy and agriculture. Trade relations between India and the US remain strained after the Trump administration imposed tariffs totalling 50% on most Indian exports, including penalties linked to India’s continued engagement with Russia and its participation in the BRICS grouping.
India has responded cautiously, introducing retaliatory duties on selected US agricultural imports. Key sticking points remain unresolved as the White House continues to press India to open its agricultural markets further- a sensitive issue for New Delhi, which views farm protections as non-negotiable.
‘Problem With Beta, Not Data’
The BJP hit back sharply at Rahul Gandhi, saying the problem “lay with beta (son), and not the data”, while accusing him of having an agenda against India.
Speaking at CNN-News18, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla responded to Congress’ accusations of forged economic data by highlighting that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had raised India’s economic growth forecast for 2025 to 7.3%. “It was the IMF which said that we have gone from the 11th-largest economy to the fourth-largest, and called India the growth engine of the world. The EU wants to do the “mother of all deals” with India,” he said.
Poonawalla also stated that RBI data showed 9 crore jobs during the BJP tenure, whereas it was only 2 crore during the UPA regime. “Whatever India says or stands for, Congress is not willing to accept that because Rahul Gandhi has an agenda against India,” he added.
“The same person who accepts EVM results in Kerala local body polls, but he doesn’t want EVMs in Karnataka local polls. This man is a hypocrite and a liar,” he continued.
This came after the IMF increased India’s 2025 growth estimate by 0.7 percentage points to 7.3% despite US tariff pressure. It expects growth to moderate to 6.4% in both 2026 and 2027, attributing the slowdown to the fading of what it described as “cyclical and temporary factors”.
It also noted that India is the key growth engine for the world and the country’s third-quarter growth came out stronger than expected. At the global level, the IMF said the world economy has shown unexpected resilience and is likely to withstand the protectionist trade policies pursued by Donald Trump.
January 23, 2026, 15:56 IST
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