'Anti-India': BJP slams Rahul's 'manufacturing declining' remark

New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI) The BJP on Wednesday termed as "anti-India" Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's claim that manufacturing is declining in the country, asserting that production is "continuously increasing" in the country.

The ruling party also accused the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha of insulting India with his remarks on foreign soil.

After a guided tour of BMW Welt and the BMW Plant in Munich, Gandhi on Wednesday said manufacturing is the backbone of strong economies but it is declining in India.

India needs to build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems for accelerating growth, the Congress leader said in a post on Instagram. Gandhi is on a visit to Germany.

Flaying Gandhi over his remarks, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said the leader of opposition is an important position and the one holding it "must behave responsibly", especially when on foreign soil.

"But Rahul and responsibility can never go hand in hand," Patra charged.

"Rahul Gandhi's repeated trips abroad and his actions of insulting India and making anti-India statements from foreign soil clearly show the kind of feelings Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party harbour towards India," the BJP MP added.

Rejecting Gandhi's claim, Patra said production is "continuously increasing" in India through the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and other initiatives taken by the government.

"It is important to clarify that the IIP, or Index of Industrial Production, is currently on a positive growth trend. India's manufacturing sector recorded a growth rate of 5.4 per cent in July 2025 and 4.8 per cent in September 2025," he said.

India's current GDP growth rate is 8.2 per cent, which is one of the best growth rates in the world, Patra said, asserting, "Naturally, the manufacturing sector contributes approximately 17 per cent to this growth." "But Rahul Gandhi doesn't see any positivity. He sees no good in India. Whenever he goes abroad, he inevitably returns having insulted Parliament and India in some way or the other," Patra alleged. PTI PK PK KVK KVK