Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday, 3 September accused the Centre of 'manipulating' statistical methods to conceal rising inflation and mask a struggling real economy, sharply contesting the Union government's claim of 7.8 per cent GDP growth for the April–June quarter. Pawar made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Baramati, calling the official data a misleading projection of economic health.

Pawar's Core Allegations

Sharad Pawar trained his criticism directly at the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, alleging that the administration was constructing a false narrative around the country's economic stability. 'The Prime Minister and Finance Minister are trying to project that the state of the economy is exceptionally sound, ignoring the core underlying problems. It appears they are failing to register that the economy is actually slowing down,' Pawar said.

He further alleged that the Prime Minister was leveraging international engagements to deflect public attention from domestic concerns — particularly high inflation and shrinking household savings.

Regional and Agrarian Concerns

Beyond the GDP debate, Pawar flagged several pressing local issues. On rising sugar prices, he argued that the gains were not trickling down to farmers despite higher production costs, and cautioned against sugar imports, citing uncertain outcomes. He welcomed recent anti-adulteration drives in Maharashtra's dairy sector led by Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, noting that while milk prices had risen from ₹60 to ₹80 per litre, consumers were willing to pay for improved quality — a development he said would ultimately benefit producers.

Pawar also sounded an alarm over severe rainfall deficits across Maharashtra, warning of an impending crisis affecting drinking water availability and sowing operations, and called for coordinated relief efforts.

Judiciary and Political Observations

Referencing recent Supreme Court observations on student protests and ongoing hearings on the Shiv Sena party name and symbol dispute, Pawar remarked that the judiciary's stern warnings underscored what he described as the government's flawed decision-making. He also indicated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Baramati around 16 October, where a detailed presentation on local initiatives is expected to be made.

Broader Opposition Front and Government Pushback

Pawar's remarks coincide with a wider opposition offensive on the GDP methodology question. The Indian National Congress (Congress) has separately accused the government of playing a 'game of numbers', while economists — including former Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg — have reportedly raised objections to changes in GDP calculation methods, asserting that the current approach inflates the headline growth figure.

The Union government has firmly rejected these claims. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju countered that Congress was unable to accept India's economic progress. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) also defended its data protocols, asserting that the 7.8 per cent figure accurately reflects quarterly economic performance. With elections in Maharashtra on the horizon, the GDP dispute is set to intensify as a key political flashpoint.