Economic Survey not about fiscal health but govt's hypocrisy: Surjewala

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala on Thursday claimed that the Economic Survey 2025-26 is not about fiscal health but governments hypocrisy, saying the growth shown is government-driven, not consumption-driven. The Congress leader said helping citizens is wrong, supporting women is irresponsible, and welfare is fiscal sin, but what when Rs 12 lakh crore of corporate NPAs was written off in the last decade by the Modi government.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala on Thursday claimed that the Economic Survey 2025-26 is not about fiscal health but government's hypocrisy, saying the growth shown is ''government-driven, not consumption-driven''. The Economic Survey, which offers a detailed evaluation of the Indian economy, was presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday. Surjewala said while the government talks of ''Vikas ka Amrit Kaal'', but ''when the poor get money, then it is fiscal ruckus''. ''That's the 'new Economics' of the Economic Survey 2025-26. The Survey solemnly warns that 'State Welfare Schemes' and cash transfers are casting a shadow on India's sovereign borrowing cost,'' he said in a post on X. The Congress leader said helping citizens is ''wrong'', supporting women is ''irresponsible'', and welfare is ''fiscal sin'', but what when Rs 12 lakh crore of corporate NPAs was ''written off'' in the last decade by the Modi government. ''When they do it - it is 'banking reform'. Corporate tax concessions! Rs 1,00,000 Crore foregone in FY24 by Modi Government! When they do it - it is 'fiscal prudence'. Rs 5-6 lakh crore collected annually via cesses and surcharges, kept outside the divisible pool of States and spent entirely by the Modi Government! When they do it -It is 'economic wisdom. ''But when Karnataka gives Rs 2,000/month to women. When States provide free bus travel for women, improving mobility, safety and access to work, when States like Himachal support households under stress. Suddenly it becomes 'FISCAL POPULISM','' he said in his post. Surjewala said the irony is that when Rs 10,000 is announced by PM Modi before elections in Bihar, it is ''welfare and vision'' but states doing far smaller, targeted support equals to threat to India's credit rating. ''This Economic Survey isn't about fiscal health. It's about who is allowed to spend and on whom. This is the hypocrisy of the BJP Government with a spreadsheet. #EconomicSurvey2026,'' he said. Surjewala also said the Economic Survey claims India will clock 7.4 per cent real GDP growth, projecting it as the strongest macro performance in decades. ''But read beyond the headline and the contradictions are staggering. The shown growth is government-driven, not consumption-driven or private investment driven. The Survey itself admits 'significant tax breaks for households' in FY26. If households were thriving, consumption would lead to growth. ''Need for 'Emergency tax relief' is a tacit admission that private final consumption expenditure is under deep stress. People aren't spending because incomes are squeezed,'' he noted. In simple terms, he said, when the Rupee weakness, the government blames the global factors, when there are capital outflows, then they blame geopolitics and lack of strategic insulation is blamed on an ''unfair world''. ''But here's the economic question the Survey avoids: If the global system doesn't reward macro success anymore, why are the peers still attracting capital, stabilising currencies, and gaining trade share? Global conditions are tough, agreed. But policy credibility, external sector management, and economic diplomacy still matters, which have all fallen flat. ''You can't claim world-beating growth, admit collapsing consumption, concede shrinking economic influence and then say 'nothing can be done, it is geopolitics'. That's headline growth masking structural weakness, a GDP disconnect India can't afford to ignore,'' Surjewala said in his post.

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