The Congress party on Friday hit out at Union minister Smriti Irani over her comments dismissing the credibility of the Global Hunger Index on which India has fared poorly, accusing the BJP leader of ignorance and insensitivity. Irani, minister of women and child development in the Narendra Modi government, claimed Thursday that the annual Global Hunger Index report is prepared by calling up people and asking them if they are hungry.

“I don’t know what’s more shameful – your level of ignorance or your insensitivity at display here?” Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said in a social media post.

“You are the Women and Child Development Minister in the Government of India – it’s appalling to hear you. Frankly, you are an embarrassment! ” she added, pointing out that the annual report is “heavily based” on indicators like undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting and child mortality.

Shrinate stressed that the four indicators also serve to evaluate progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Congress leader also urged the Union minister not to trivialize the issue of hunger, given her influential position.

“And please don’t make a mockery of hunger – you are an extremely powerful and entitled woman, a minister in the Government of India for heaven’s sake! There are enough and more meals available on the flights you board and the places you visit,” she said.

Reacting to Irani’s remarks, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said in a social media post, “Hardly having the time to eat= Hardly having food to eat”

“If arrogance had a face, it would be Mantriji.”

What Smriti Irani said

The Union minister claimed that some indices, including the Global Hunger Index, do “not project the India story” deliberately.

“How do they build that index? 3000 people from a country of 140 crore get a phone call from Gallup and they are asked, ‘Are you hungry’?” she said.

“Now trust me, I have left my house in Delhi in the morning at 4. I caught a flight at 5 to go to Kochi. I did a conclave there, caught a flight at 5 o’clock to come to this programme. By the time I get to anything called food, it will be 10 o’clock. If you have called me anytime in the day today and asked are you hungry, I’ll say ‘Oh yes, I am’.”

Irani was speaking at a FICCI event on ‘Future Role Of Women In India’ at a meeting at Taj Deccan in Hyderabad.

India’s rank on Global Hunger Index

India ranked 111th out of 125 countries in the Global Hunger Index-2023, which was rejected by the government as erroneous and having malafide intent. The index, released on Thursday, also stated that India has the highest child wasting rate in the world at 18.7 per cent, reflecting acute undernutrition. With a score of 28.7 in the Global Hunger Index-2023, India has a level of hunger that is serious, according to a report based on the index. India’s neighbouring countries Pakistan (102nd), Bangladesh (81st), Nepal (69th) and Sri Lanka (60th) have fared better than it in the index.