Everybody, except PM, FM, know Indian economy is dead: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said everybody except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman know that the Indian economy is "dead", as he alleged that the BJP-led government has destroyed the country's economic, defence and foreign policies.

Speaking with reporters in the Parliament House complex, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also claimed that a trade deal with the US will happen and Trump will define it, while Prime Minister Modi will do what the American President tells him to do.

Gandhi's remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of 25 per cent tariff and penalties on India and called India and Russia "dead economies".

Asked about Trump calling the Indian economy "dead", Gandhi said, "He is right, everybody knows this except the prime minister and the finance minister. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact." Gandhi alleged that the BJP has destroyed the Indian economy in order to help billionaire Gautam Adani.

"The External Affairs Minister gives a speech that we have a genius foreign policy. On one hand, the US is abusing you and on the other hand China is after, and thirdly when you send delegations across the globe then no country condemns Pakistan. How are they running the country? They don't know how to run the country," Gandhi said.

Referring to Modi's speech in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Gandhi said the PM neither took Trump's name nor of China "He (Modi) did not say that no country condemned Pakistan. Trump is having lunch with Pakistan military chief who was behind the Pahalgam attack, and they are saying there has been a big success. What success is this? he said.

"Trump has said 30 times that I got the ceasefire done (between India and Pakistan). Trump said five planes of India were downed, he is now saying I will put a 25 per cent tariff. Did you ask why Modi is not able to answer, what is the reason? Who has the control?" he said.

Gandhi further said the main issue in front of India today is that the government has "destroyed" the country's economic, defence and foreign policies.

"They are running this country into the ground. The prime minister works only for one person - Adani. All small businesses have been wiped out," he said.

Referring to the India-US trade deal that is under negotiation, Gandhi said this deal will happen and Trump will define how this deal will happen.

"Modi will do what Trump tells him to do," the former Congress president said.

Later, in a post on X, Gandhi said, "THE INDIAN ECONOMY IS DEAD. Modi killed it. 1.Adani-Modi partnership. 2. Demonetisation and a flawed GST 3. Failed 'Assemble in India' 4. MSMEs wiped out.5. Farmers crushed." He alleged that Modi has destroyed the future of India’s youth because there are no jobs.