New Delhi: Congress leaders and their allies have distanced themselves from Rahul Gandhi's recent embrace of President Donald Trump's assertion that India possesses a "dead economy."

"This is not the case and we all know it," stated Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, directly refuting US President Donald Trump's controversial remark. This strong rebuttal from Tharoor and other allied leaders highlights a notable divergence from Rahul Gandhi, who had explicitly endorsed President Trump's comment, stating he was "glad that President Trump has stated a fact" and that "everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy."

Earlier, Tharoor characterised Trump's statement as a "very serious matter" for India. Tharoor emphasised India's strategic position, stating that the country has various negotiation options beyond the US, including ongoing discussions with the EU and a concluded deal with the UK. He highlighted India's robust domestic market, contrasting it with export-dependent economies like China. Tharoor asserted that if the US demands prove "completely unreasonable," India may have to walk away from negotiations and "diversify our markets outside of America."

Fellow Congress MP Rajeev Shukla also dismissed Trump's claim as "wrong," firmly stating that "India does not have a dead economy." Shukla underscored the contributions of past leaders like P.V. Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Manmohan Singh to India's economic strength, adding that if "someone claims they can finish us economically, it's likely due to a misunderstanding. Trump is living in a delusion."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swiftly condemned Rahul Gandhi's remarks. The Karnataka BJP took to X (formerly Twitter) to assert that it is not India's economy, but "Rahul Gandhi's basic understanding of economics" that is flawed. The party accused Gandhi of consistently attempting to downplay India's economic progress, labelling his statement as a mere "political stunt."