Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Thursday jumped to defend the revision in India’s GDP growth rate during the previous UPA era, saying the Central Statistics Office (CSO), which came out with the revised numbers, was a credible organisation and maintains arm’s length distance from the finance ministry.

He said the new GDP data was realistic, credible and more reflective of the economy.

A day after Chief Statistician Pravin Srivastava, in an unusual move, announced the revised numbers based on back series data alongside Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, Jaitley said, “I don’t think any service is being rendered by those who discredit the highly credible organisation, CSO.”

Former Finance Minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram had on Wednesday called the revision as a “bad joke”.

Read | ‘Worse than bad joke’: Chidambaram fumes as govt lowers GDP rate under UPA rule

He demanded that the body be disbanded for slashing the growth rate during UPA regime allegedly at the behest of the Narendra Modi government.

“Actually they are worse than a bad joke,” the minister tweeted.

He further accused the Niti Aayog of “doing a hatchet job”, adding that it was time to wind up the “worthless” body.

Chidambaram also wondered if the National Statistical Commission has been disbanded, which had calculated the earlier numbers.

Jaitley said when the CSO had revised upward the growth rate of 2012-13 and 2013-14, the then government had welcomed the decision.

The same yardstick has been applied by the CSO while revising the growth downwards, he said.

Chidambaram’s remarks echoed the scathing attack launched by the Congress accusing the Modi government of “manipulating” GDP data of previous years.

The party said it reflects a desperate attempt to undermine India’s growth story over the last 15 years.

The government had on Wednesday lowered the country’s economic growth rate during the previous Congress-led UPA regime, shaving off over one percentage point from the only year when India posted double-digit GDP growth post liberalisation and from each of the three years with 9-plus per cent expansion.

Recalibrating data of past years using 2011-12 as the base year instead of 2004-05, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) estimated that India’s GDP grew by 8.5 per cent in the financial year 2010-11 (April 2010 to March 2011) and not at 10.3 per cent as previously estimated.

Similarly, 9.3 per cent growth rate each in 2005-06 and 2006-07 was lowered to 7.9 per cent and 8.1 per cent respectively, while 7.7 per cent rate was now estimated for 2007-08 instead of 9.8 per cent.

The revised growth numbers have been released ahead of the 2019 general elections.

(With agency inputs)