A Day After Rahul Gandhi’s Economic Warning, BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla Hits Back, Calls Him ‘Leader of Propaganda’

A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi warned of an impending economic crisis and alleged that India’s institutions were under pressure, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on Thursday launched a sharp counterattack, accusing the Leader of Opposition of spreading misinformation and fear.

Reacting to Gandhi’s remarks, Poonawalla said that “LOP means Leader of Propaganda, not Leader of Opposition,” and alleged that the Congress leader was attempting to create panic through what he described as baseless claims about the economy and democratic institutions.

Referring to Gandhi’s comments on the possibility of an Emergency-like situation, Poonawalla said the Congress party itself was historically associated with the Emergency and had little credibility to lecture others on democratic values.

He further claimed that the real “institutional collapse” was taking place within the Congress party, alleging growing discontent among party workers over dynastic politics and a lack of internal democracy.

Defending the government’s economic record, the BJP spokesperson said India continues to remain among the world’s fastest-growing major economies and asserted that the country’s economic fundamentals remain strong.

Poonawalla also accused Gandhi of repeatedly targeting Indian institutions and attempting to tarnish the country’s image through his political statements.

The BJP leader’s remarks came a day after Gandhi, in a video circulating on social media, warned of what he termed an impending “economic tsunami,” citing rising prices and economic pressures. The Congress leader had also alleged that institutional checks and balances were weakening and claimed that officials from various parts of the system were sharing information with the opposition.

In the video, Gandhi further suggested that growing public pressure over economic issues and concerns regarding democratic institutions were affecting the functioning of the system. He also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not remain in office within a year, describing it as his personal assessment.