Revised GDP numbers worse than a bad joke: Congress

NEW DELHI: In a strong rebuttal of the government's back data on GDP, Congress on Thursday recommended winding up the Niti Aayog because it had "proved itself to be an utterly worthless body".

Slamming the Niti Aayog for the "disservice" it did to the nation with its "hatchet job at the behest of the Modi government", former finance minister P Chidambaram said, "Niti Aayog's revised GDP numbers are a joke. They are a bad joke. Actually, they are worse than a bad joke. The numbers are the result of a hatchet job. Now that Niti Aayog has done the hatchet job, it is time to wind up the utterly worthless body."

Several Congress A-listers joined the bandwagon to hit out at the government's planning body. Former Union minister Anand Sharma said, "By fudging GDP data to massage the ego of PM Modi and hide the miserable performance and mismanagement of the Indian economy, the ministry of statistics and Niti Aayog have done a disservice to the nation."

He also said the integrity of Indian data had become suspect internationally and in one blow, the credibility of Indian statistical institutions and experts who prepared the earlier GDP data was severely damaged. "Pathetic to see the finance minister defending the brazen assault on the very sanctity of Indian statistics," Sharma said.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury too questioned the sanctity of the GDP back data. Drawing from a famous reference to former UK PM Benjamin Disraeli by Mark Twain, Yechury said, "It was said about lies that there are lies, damned lies and statistics. This government is the master of statistical manipulation. They have held back unemployment data because they will stand exposed if it is released."

Keeping social media platforms buzzing with allegations and counter allegations, former Union minister Kapil Sibal tweeted, "New data: Growth faster under NDA than UPA. True growth in: jumlas, manipulating (CSO , NSSO's data), falsifying outcomes (eg on paper 'electrified' villages, in reality 'darkness'), lies (eg October 29, 2017 Modi said government launched DBT, scheme launched in 2013 under UPA)."

Congress leader Manish Tewari said there was great "opacity" on PM Narendra Modi's demonetisation decision and said former CEA Arvind Subramanian owed "responsibility" to the nation to tell "how it happened". "Since Subramaniam was the CEA then, he owes a responsibility to the country to (say) what exactly happened? When did the RBI meeting take place, was it cleared by the cabinet or the cabinet cleared it post-facto?" Tewari asked.

Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien said demonetisation was a massive shock for the economy.