India’s 7.8% GDP growth in the April-June quarter has given the Modi government a strong economic number to showcase—but the debate is rapidly becoming political. PM Modi has hit out at what he calls “jhooth ki goonj”, pushing back against Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the economy. The Congress, meanwhile, is asking a different question: where are the jobs? The battle is now over more than GDP numbers—it is about who gets to define India’s economic reality and whether growth is translating into better opportunities and incomes for ordinary Indians.
