Those who call the Indian economy “dead” must have something wrong with their “head” : Athawale’s witty take on Rahul Gandhi

Key Points:

During the Monsoon session of Parliament, Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Rahul Gandhi described India’s economy as ‘dead’, referring to the U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier remark that India is a “dead economy,”. Gandhi said Trump’s statement was a fact. However, his comment quickly backfired, drawing sharp criticism across the political spectrum. Among the most vocal critics was Republican Party of India (Athawale) chief and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, who responded in his trademark witty and poetic style during an interview with IANS.

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Speaking to reporters, Athawale said: “Rahul Gandhi kehte hain Bharat ki economy hai dead, isliye mujhe lagta hai thik nahin hai unka head.” He argued that as the Leader of the Opposition, Gandhi should speak more responsibly and take pride in the nation instead of repeatedly criticizing it. “You’ve become the Leader of the Opposition; you should be proud of the country. For 60–70 years, your party was in power, and now if the Modi government is making good decisions, you should at least appreciate them,” Athawale remarked.

The RPI(A) leader strongly rejected Gandhi’s claim, highlighting that India is currently the world’s fourth-largest economy and continues to grow steadily. “Calling the economy ‘dead’ is not just incorrect but also irresponsible for an Indian citizen,” he said, adding that Gandhi’s words “do not resemble those of a true Indian citizen.”

Looking ahead, Athawale echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s economic rise. He predicted that India, now the fourth-largest economy, would soon become the third and then the second. “By 2047, on the completion of 100 years of independence, our country will be number one in the world. Poverty will be eradicated, every person will have a strong house, the unemployed will get jobs, and industrialists will have full support from the government and banks,” he said with confidence.

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Athawale has been a prominent political and social leader for decades. Born in Maharashtra, he has worked as a politician, social activist, trade unionist, journalist, and writer. Since 1999, he has led the Republican Party of India (Athawale faction), which traces its roots to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Scheduled Castes Federation.

Over his career, Athawale has held several key positions at both state and national levels. He served as a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council and as a cabinet minister in the state government, handling portfolios such as Social Welfare, Transport, Employment Guarantee Scheme, and Prohibition Propaganda. Between 1998 and 2009, he was elected to the Lok Sabha multiple times. In 2014, he entered the Rajya Sabha and has since played an active role in various parliamentary committees, including those on Industry and the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Athwale is famous for making witty remarks and taking funny potshots as well. His parliament speeches often get viral. 

[Rh/VP]

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