Congress Criticizes Modi Government Over Data Credibility and Economic Realities
Questions Raised on Poverty, Spending Disparities, and Government Schemes
On Tuesday, the Congress said that the Narendra Modi administration was damaging the integrity of statistics in an attempt to fabricate stories ahead of the election. They questioned why 81 crore people were in need of free food when only 5% of the population—that is, 7 crore people—were classified as impoverished.
The Modi administration, according to Congress spokesman Supriya Shrinate, lied artfully, but the grandiose promises were undermined by the harsh reality on the ground.
The Niti Aayog president was able to claim that poverty was reduced to 5% thanks to the Household Consumption and Expenditure Survey conducted by the NSSO (National Sample Survey Office). "The biggest headline out of this report is that the poorest 5% Indians spend Rs 46 rupees in a day," she claimed.
Paradoxically, the previous NSSO survey was purportedly suppressed by the Modi administration just before the 2019 parliamentary elections since it presented a dire picture of the economy having been completely wrecked by demonetisation, making the consumption figures seem appalling.
Mallikarjun Kharge, the president of the Congress, tweeted: "Why do the 7 crore poorest people in India spend just Rs 46 a day? Why did the families in the lowest 5% of income bracket get the lowest benefits from government initiatives, amounting to only Rs 68 per month (or Rs 2.5 per day)? Did Modi's assurance merely help his crony capitalist allies? Why does the average monthly income in rural India exceed that of farmers?
According to Shrinate, the wealthiest 5% of people spend eight times as much in rural regions as they do in urban areas, with the top 5% spending ten times as much as the lowest 5%. What makes this inequity understandable? The evidence shows that your statements are false, and it's a ticking time bomb. Why are you forcing 81 crore Indians to get free rations if 7 crore are impoverished? Why is the rate of savings in the country declining?
"This data has multiple other incorrect claims and assertions," she said. However, if there are only 7 crore impoverished people in India, why can't 35 crore of them afford a vehicle, a two-wheeler, or any other kind of transportation? Why have two-wheeler sales fallen from 9% to 0.7% under the UPA? Why are 45 crore Indians unable to own a television nowadays? Why does India's ranking on the world hunger index keep declining?
Shrinate stated, "Why is the Modi government destroying the credibility of our economic data? ", arguing that whereas consumer expenditure had increased under the UPA due to growing earnings, people were now spending more despite reduced incomes due to inflationary pressures. Which of the following Niti Aayog facts on poverty is accurate? Which percentage is higher, the 19.28% estimated in July 2023, the 11% stated a few weeks ago, or this 5%? Two farmers pass away every hour and forty young people commit suicide every day, yet the government presents a false picture of prosperity.
Jairam Ramesh, the chairman of communications for the Congress, stated: "Modi promised that farmer income will quadruple by 2022. Between 2012 and 2018, real rural consumer spending decreased by 8.8% for the first time in more than 50 years. Real rural wages grew at a negative annual rate between 2019–20 and 2023–24 for both non-agricultural (-1.4%) and agricultural (-0.6%) sectors. During the first nine months of current fiscal year, there has been a sharp drop in tractor sales in the south and west. Sales of two-wheelers decreased by 22% between 2018 and 2023.
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