{
  "id": 5086921,
  "title": "PR can polish picture of GDP, but not economy itself: Congress slams Modi government",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/pr-can-polish-picture-of-gdp-but-not-economy-itself-congress-slams",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-02T12:13:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pr-can-polish-picture-of-gdp-but-not-economy-itself-congress-slams-modi-government/article71418728.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On September 2, 2026, the Congress party criticized the Modi government's claimed GDP growth figures, emphasizing that while PR can enhance the appearance of the economy, it cannot alter the underlying economic reality. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a video clip of former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg, who had stated that the current year's GDP growth for the first quarter had increased by around 10.3% after revising last year's GDP by as much as ₹6 trillion. Ramesh argued that the Modi government's GDP growth claims are vastly exaggerated compared to the ground realities, which include rising prices, falling purchasing power, and stagnant job opportunities. Former Finance Secretary Subhash Garg's assessment suggests that the real GDP growth is closer to 2.6%, not the 7.8% claimed by the government. The Congress party demanded an explanation from the government regarding the revision of GDP figures and questioned the authenticity of the \"Fake in India\" scheme, which has not led to significant economic improvements.",
  "summary": "Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the 7.8% GDP growth a \"herculean feat\"",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}