‘Misleading, damaging to India’s image’: Shiv Sena slams Rahul Gandhi for ‘dead economy’ remarks

Mumbai, Aug 1 Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde on Friday criticised Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for "backing" US President Donald Trump’s recent remark describing India’s economy as 'dead.'

Speaking to IANS, Krishna Hegde said, “India’s economy currently ranks fourth globally and is on track to soon reach the third position. Our economy is vibrant, flourishing, and full of potential. Just like the US economy stands strong on the global stage, India’s economy is also gaining strength and momentum. Calling it ‘dead’ is completely wrong, misleading, and damaging to the nation’s image.”

Hegde's remarks come amid a growing divide among leaders within the INDIA Bloc, many of whom hold differing views on the economy and Trump’s comments.

Reacting to the Election Commission of India's release of the draft electoral rolls for Bihar, following a month-long Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ahead of the state’s upcoming Assembly elections, Hegde praised the transparency of the process.

“The Election Commission has begun a vital process for the Bihar Assembly elections. This includes updating the voter list - adding new names, removing the deceased, and correcting inaccuracies. The final list is expected to be released by the end of the week. Any voter can verify or rectify their details through the Block Level Agent or the Collector’s Office. This is an important and welcome step for ensuring electoral integrity,” he stated.

Krishna Hegde further commented on the controversy surrounding NCP MLA Manikrao Kokate, who was caught playing online rummy during the Assembly’s monsoon session. Following public outcry, Kokate was removed from the Agriculture Ministry and reassigned to the Sports and Youth Welfare Ministry.

Hegde played down the move as a routine administrative change.

“This reshuffle should not be viewed as a punitive action. Such ministerial changes are part of regular governance. The Agriculture Minister has been given charge of Sports, and vice versa. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar made these adjustments to maintain administrative balance within his party’s cabinet,” Hegde told IANS.

Commenting on former Maharashtra ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar’s explosive revelation - that he was allegedly directed to arrest RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat in the 2008 Malegaon blast case but was later falsely implicated for refusing - Hegde demanded a deeper probe.

“The statement by former ATS officer Mujawar is deeply shocking and deserves serious investigation. If his claims are true, it suggests a politically motivated conspiracy during the UPA era to malign the image of the RSS and its chief Mohan Bhagwat, and Hindu nationalist organisations like the BJP, Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal, and VHP. The Congress party deliberately tried to defame an entire ideology using terms like ‘saffron terrorism’ and ‘Hindu terror’ - this is not just misleading but shameful,” Hegde said.

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