Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday took a dig at the BJP over its MP Nishikant Dubey’s remarks that the gross domestic product (GDP) has no relevance, saying “God save India’s economy”.
Participating in a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Monday on the Taxation Law Amendment Bill and a statutory resolution disapproving the ordinance on the same legislation, Dubey had said that the GDP has no relevance, and it should not be treated as “Bible, Ramayan and Mahabharat”.
“(Economist Simon) Kuznet said it is not the ultimate truth to believe GDP as Bible, Ramayan and Mahabharat and GDP will be not be of any great use in future,” Dubey said, inviting ridicule from the opposition benches. “Whoever talks about the GDP is wrong. GDP has no relevance to this country,” Dubey said.
“GDP numbers are irrelevant, personal tax will be cut, import duties will be increased. These are BJP’s ideas of reforms. God save India’s economy,” Chidambaram, who is in jail in connection with cases of corruption and money laundering, said in a tweet.
Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Monday had also taken a swipe at Dubey over his remarks, tweeting God save the people from “New India’s novice economists”.
