Pune: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday criticised the Centre over the recently released GDP figures and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman were trying to portray a positive picture of the Indian economy, but the reality was quite grim.India’s GDP, in a recently released data, observed a 7.8% growth rate in the first quarter of 2026-27. While the central govt hailed India’s economic progress, the opposition questioned the GDP numbers. Adding to the opposition’s voice, Pawar on Thursday criticised the Centre’s claim. “The Prime Minister and finance minister are not focusing on the real issues and are busy in portraying a beautiful picture of the Indian economy. The Prime Minister is making some statements at the international stage and diverting people’s attention from the pressing issues,” the veteran politician said.Pawar claimed that the Indian economy was going through a tough phase and the common man would face the brunt of it. The former Union agriculture minister said while the sugar price had increased, the sugar cane-producing farmers did not benefit from it. “The rate of sugar has increased, but the production cost of it also has risen. The sugar cane producer should get some share of the increased sugar price, but at present it is not happening,” Pawar added.The NCP (SP) chief also criticised the Centre over the recent action against the student protesters in New Delhi. He said, “The students were protesting for their demands and the Supreme Court mentioned that the Centre’s stand on the issue was wrong.”Pawar has invited PM Modi to his hometown Baramati for the inauguration of a memorial in Oct, but the veteran politician on Thursday said the PM was yet to confirm the date. He said, “He has given assurance that he would visit but the date is yet to be fixed. We have suggested the Oct 16 date, but it may change as per his schedule.”
