New Delhi, Aug 30 (PTI) The BJP on Saturday said the latest data showing India's economy grew by a stronger-than-expected 7.8 per cent in April-June came as the "hardest slap of reality” for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently "declared" India a "dead economy".

According to government data released on Friday, the Indian economy grew by 7.8 per cent in April-June -- the highest in five quarters -- before the disruptive US tariffs were imposed.

The GDP growth in the first quarter of the ongoing fiscal was mainly due to good performance by the farm sector.

Commenting on the GDP data, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan said, "Those who call it a 'dead economy' should now understand that India is a 'long live economy', which is on the path to realising the dream of a developed and fully self-reliant India." "The sweat of the Indian farmers, the hard work of our scientists, and the 140 crore Indians have demonstrated their capabilities," Chouhan said in a post on X.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is moving forward to fulfil the resolve of a developed India, the minister said.

Latching on to the government data, BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya said, "For the acerbic, delusional, frustrated, and rejected Rahul Gandhi -- the same man who declared India a 'dead economy' -- the latest GDP numbers are the hardest slap of reality." "India has just clocked 7.8 per cent GDP growth in Q1 of FY 2025-26, leading the world's major economies," Malviya said in a post on X.

The only thing "dead" is Rahul Gandhi's credibility, he claimed.

In another post on X, Malviya said India is not just growing but also proving the "doomsayers wrong, quarter after quarter".

"The same purveyors of the 'India is a dead economy' narrative are now scrambling to hide their faces," he said.

Attacking the government over US President Donald Trump's criticism of the Indian economy, Rahul Gandhi recently said that everybody except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman knew that the country's economy was "dead".

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha also alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre destroyed the country's economic, defence and foreign policies, running India "to the ground".

The Congress leader took on the government after Trump last month called India a "dead economy", hours after announcing 25 per cent tariffs on the import of Indian goods along with an unspecified "penalty" for buying "vast majority" of Russian military equipment and crude oil. PTI PK ARI

Economic growth rebound cited as rebuttal to opposition's 'dead economy' claim amid tariff-linked international criticism. The governing party used revised April-June GDP figures, citing strong agricultural performance, to rebut opposition claims that India is a 'dead economy,' framing the data as proof of economic resilience. This political exchange intersected with recent international tariff measures and public criticism from a foreign leader, prompting partisan communications that linked macroeconomic indicators to trade policy and governance narratives.