Congress calls govt’s ‘most equal country’ claim ‘fraudulent’

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government of “fraudulent” and “intellectually dishonest” claims after an official release cited World Bank data to assert that India is among the world’s most equal countries.

The government’s statement, referencing a Gini Index of 25.5 for 2022–23, positioned India as the fourth-most equal society globally—behind the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and Belarus. The Congress, however, dismissed the claim as misleading and demanded that the Press Information Bureau (PIB) clarify the source of the release and retract it immediately.

Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said the government had selectively interpreted the World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Brief for India, released in April 2025. “Aap chronology samajhiye,” he said, outlining how the Congress had flagged concerns about inequality and data quality shortly after the report’s publication.

Ramesh alleged that the government used two different metrics—consumption inequality for India and income inequality for other countries—to arrive at a favourable comparison. “This violates basic principles of economic analysis and common sense,” he said, adding that consumption inequality is inherently lower than income inequality because wealthier individuals tend to save more.

According to Ramesh, when measured by income inequality, India ranked 176 out of 216 countries in 2019, making it one of the most unequal societies globally. He further claimed that inequality has worsened under the current government, with wealth concentration increasing over the past 11 years.

He also criticised the government for relying on outdated benchmarks and limited data, warning that such practices undermine public trust. “This is either a disturbing lack of talent or a disturbing lack of integrity,” he said.

The Congress also pointed to a pattern of inconsistent economic statements from government officials, citing recent confusion over GDP estimates from NITI Aayog. “The leadership’s appetite for distortion has clearly trickled down,” Ramesh remarked.

In contrast, the government attributed the decline in inequality to a decade of welfare schemes and economic reforms. But the Congress insisted that growing disparities in income and wealth remain a pressing concern that cannot be obscured by selective data interpretation.

(inputs from PTI)