Anurag Thakur Counters Rahul Gandhi ‘Dead Economy’ Remark, Calls India a ‘Dominating’ Global Force

BJP MP Anurag Thakur hit back at Rahul Gandhi’s “dead economy” remark during the Budget debate, asserting that India has emerged as a dominant global economic force under the Modi government.

New Delhi: A sharp political exchange unfolded in Parliament during the discussion on the Union Budget 2026–27, as BJP MP and former Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur strongly rebutted Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his “dead economy” remark.

Rejecting the Opposition leader’s criticism, Thakur asserted that India was not a “dead economy” but a “dominating” one, claiming the country’s global standing had significantly strengthened under the government of Narendra Modi.

“Rahul Gandhi says India is a dead economy. I say we are not dead but the world’s dominating economy,” Thakur said, pointing to India’s expanding global trade footprint and recent free trade agreements as indicators of resilience and growth.

Capital Push and Infrastructure Growth

Highlighting the Centre’s infrastructure focus, Thakur said capital expenditure had increased from ₹11.2 lakh crore to ₹12.2 lakh crore, reflecting what he described as a commitment to long-term asset creation rather than “short-term applause”.

He also cited growth in medical infrastructure, stating that the number of AIIMS institutions had risen from seven after seven decades of Independence to 23 at present. Medical colleges had increased from 387 in 2014 to 706, while MBBS seats had crossed 1.07 lakh, he added.

Focus on Artificial Intelligence

Thakur said the Budget emphasised artificial intelligence across sectors, with proposals to make data centres and cloud services tax-free for 20 years. He projected that India was poised to emerge as a global AI innovation hub by 2030.

Clash Over Democratic Institutions

Taking strong exception to Gandhi’s criticism of the Election Commission, Thakur questioned why the Congress leader accepted his Lok Sabha seat after winning elections if he doubted the integrity of the electoral process.

Denying allegations of “vote theft”, Thakur remarked that people were “not voting for thieves”, triggering protests from Opposition members.

Escalating his attack, Thakur accused Gandhi of frequently levelling allegations and subsequently retracting them, alleging it was an attempt to cast doubt on democratic institutions.

The exchange marked one of the more heated moments of the ongoing Budget session, underscoring the deep political divide between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress.

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