Kharge Criticises PM Modi’s 7.8% GDP Growth Claim, Highlights Joblessness And Price Rise

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge launched a sharp political attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday regarding the country's economic trajectory. The critique came shortly after the Prime Minister publicly lauded India's recent 7.8 per cent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate. Kharge accused the ruling administration of deploying aggressive public relations campaigns to overshadow the severe financial crises and daily economic hurdles experienced by ordinary citizens across the nation.

In a detailed public statement shared on the social media platform X, Kharge characterized the Prime Minister's promotional approach as a display of “Lights, Camera and INACTION.” The opposition leader argued that while the central government continuously highlights positive macroeconomic indicators, the average citizen remains trapped in a difficult financial environment. He summarized these hardships as the "three Us," which he defined as unprecedented unemployment, unbearable price rise, and unbridled inequality.

Delving into specific structural challenges, the Congress president alleged that India's unemployment crisis has reached historically high levels. Kharge claimed that approximately 40 per cent of young university graduates in the country are currently unable to find jobs. To substantiate his argument, he cited recent labor market data indicating that as of July 2026, one in every six Indians within the 15-to-29 age demographic was unemployed. He further noted that the government's previous landmark promise to generate two crore jobs annually has been completely shattered.

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In addition to employment issues, Kharge strongly criticized the government’s management of essential commodity pricing and retail inflation. He pointed out that the skyrocketing costs of everyday kitchen staples—including sugar, onions, tomatoes, pulses, cooking oil, rice, and milk—continue to place immense pressure on domestic household budgets. The statement also highlighted the sustained high costs of fuel, arguing that expensive petrol, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are further compounding the financial burdens of ordinary families.

The final leg of the opposition's critique focused on systemic economic disparity, with Kharge alleging that India's wealth gap has widened significantly under the current regime. He cited statistical estimates claiming that the richest one per cent of the population now controls nearly 40 per cent of the nation's total wealth, whereas the bottom 50 per cent accounts for a mere 15 per cent. Kharge directly attributed this widening divide to federal policies, accusing the Centre of fostering crony capitalism and executing a large-scale transfer of wealth from lower-income groups to the wealthy elite.

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