India, Jan. 16 -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has described India as a "key growth engine for the world," pointing to strong domestic consumption and sustained growth momentum, even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trained its guns on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his earlier "dead economy" remark.

IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said India continues to play a critical role in supporting global growth. "So what we have seen in India is that India is a key growth engine for the world," she said, reported news agency ANI.

The IMF's assessment triggered a swift political response from the BJP, which cited the remarks to counter Gandhi's past criticism of the Indian economy. BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said, "This is ...