The Congress on Wednesday announced that the next government would investigate the use of false data to dress up economic growth, calling it a “scam”.

Former finance minister P. Chidambaram said at a media conference: “The NSSO (National Sample Survey Office) shot a major hole in the CSO (Central Statistical Office). It is full of falsehood. Thirty-five per cent of companies (mentioned in the CSO database) don’t exist. It is all a bluff. What is the data you are using to fool the people (into believing) that the GDP growth (now) is higher than (what it was during) UPA (rule)?”

The Congress veteran added: “This is a scam. This is a scandal which has to be investigated first before we find solutions.”

The Congress’s stand is being seen as exceptionally bold at a time when two critical phases of polling are left. Polling will be held in areas where the BJP held complete sway in the 2014 elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have boasted of improving on the 2014 numbers and no pre-poll survey has predicted an upset.

But the Congress has begun to speak like a party waiting to take over, many believe.

While Chidambaram himself explained in detail how the Congress was going to repair the economy that is in deep trouble, a statement issued by the party too exuded confidence of a favourable result.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has declared that there is no possibility of Modi returning as Prime Minister.

The Congress statement said the party was ready to guide the economy out of the “Modi-Jaitley slump”.

“As it becomes evident that the government is on its way out, the BJP’s desperation has visibly grown. With each passing day, as Modi indulges in vile rhetoric, the finance minister (Arun Jaitley) blogs poor attempts at rationalising that language.

“Between the rhetoric and the blogging, this government has forgotten the economy. The next government has a huge task of reviving the economy. Thankfully, the Congress is ready to steer the Indian economy out of the Modi-Jaitley slump,” it said.

The Congress has been constantly accusing the government of fudging critical data to manipulate growth projections. While media reports that unemployment was at a 45-year high gave credence to the Opposition charge, the latest instance is the revelation about alleged calculation of growth on the basis of non-existent or wrong classification of companies.

The Mint newspaper on Wednesday published a report claiming that a key database introduced in the new GDP series had now been found to be full of holes.

The report said a study conducted by the NSSO in the 12 months that ended in June 2017 and released last week had found that 36 per cent of companies that are part of the MCA-21 database of companies and were factored in while calculating the GDP could not be traced or were wrongly classified.

Chidambaram explained: “The MCA (ministry of corporate affairs) database is not made available to anyone, to researchers, economists. It is closely guarded. Now the NSSO finds 35 per cent of the companies are not traceable.”

Arguing that the revelations would be devastating for the credibility of the globally renowned CSO, the Mint report said: “The results were so disappointing that two detailed reports based on the survey had to be junked. It is worth noting that these companies were deemed as ‘active companies’ by the MCA, which includes any company that has filed returns at least once in the past three years on its list of active firms.”

Chidambaram said in a series of tweets: “Economy has gone to rack and ruin. The Finance Ministry’s report for March 2019 lays bare the false propaganda of the BJP Government.

“The NSSO revelations have blown a huge hole in the growth figures put out by the CSO. It turns out that the Government has been using bogus data. The CSO’s growth figures are a sham. The CSO’s complicity in putting out false data is a scam.”

Asked whether the Congress holds the political leadership alone responsible for the alleged data manipulation or the bureaucracy as well, Chidambaram said at the new conference: “I blame the political leadership. The political leadership interfered in an area that is normally off limits. You don’t interfere in CSO, NSSO working. The political leadership virtually intimidated and captured CSO, NSSO. The only two remaining officers had to resign.”

The Congress on Wednesday also released a booklet on the economy apart from the joint statement by Chidambaram, Rajeev Gowda and Salman Soz.

The statement said: “The Indian economy has entered a disastrous phase of slowdown under the Modi-Jaitley jugalbandi as reflected by the consistent fall in quarterly growth of real GDP. A massive shortfall of Rs 1.6 lakh crore in the tax revenues would effectively increase the actual fiscal deficit to 3.9 per cent.”