The exchange began after Kharge, in a social media post on Thursday, alleged that the NFHS-6 data had exposed the Bharatiya Janata Party government's “absolute incompetence” and accused it of deliberately concealing critical information that highlights failures in healthcare and nutrition.
Responding on Saturday, Nadda accused the Congress leader of selectively interpreting the survey findings for political purposes and warned that “half-knowledge is dangerous.” He stressed that public health is too important to be reduced to political rhetoric and said that facts, rather than selective narratives, should guide national discourse.
“Shri Kharge ji's half-knowledge is dangerous. Public health is too important to be reduced to political rhetoric. Selective reading may serve politics, but facts serve the nation,” Nadda said in a post on X.
Highlighting improvements in maternal healthcare indicators since NFHS-3 conducted in 2005-06, Nadda said first-trimester antenatal registration increased from 43.9 percent to 76.2 percent. Institutional deliveries rose from 38.7 percent to 90.6 percent, while births attended by skilled health personnel climbed from 46.6 percent to 91.3 percent.
According to the Health Minister, these improvements demonstrate significantly better access to healthcare services for women across the country.
“These are not mere statistics. They represent millions of mothers receiving timely care, safer deliveries and better health outcomes. The real story of India's healthcare journey is one of progress, not pessimism,” he said.
In a separate post, Nadda contrasted the latest survey findings with those recorded during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government and said the gains reflected in NFHS-6 extend far beyond maternal healthcare.
He stated that full immunisation coverage has increased to 87.1 percent compared with NFHS-3 levels. Health insurance coverage has surged from 4.9 percent to 60.2 percent, while the use of hygienic menstrual protection has risen to 79.2 percent. Child stunting has declined significantly from 48.0 percent to 29.3 percent.
Nadda attributed these improvements to sustained investments made over the past decade in healthcare, nutrition, sanitation and last-mile service delivery.
“These improvements highlight the difference between years of neglect and a decade of focused governance. Behind every percentage point are millions of Indians with better health, greater security and improved quality of life. NFHS-6 is not merely a set of statistics — it is evidence of the transformative outcomes achieved through sustained policy action and effective implementation,” he said.
In another strongly worded response, the Health Minister accused the Congress of overlooking the shortcomings of previous governments and argued that the latest survey reflects broader healthcare access and stronger social protection measures.
“What is most revealing is what the Congress leadership chooses not to acknowledge. For decades, India struggled with poor health outcomes, inadequate healthcare access and weak delivery systems despite repeated promises. The consequences of that prolonged policy failure were visible across generations,” he said.
While acknowledging that challenges continue to exist, Nadda maintained that the government remains committed to addressing them with urgency. He added that dismissing the progress recorded in the survey undermines the efforts of frontline healthcare workers and millions of beneficiaries who have contributed to the transformation.
“But denying progress does a disservice to the millions of frontline health workers and beneficiaries who have driven this transformation. Facts matter. Outcomes matter. NFHS-6 speaks for itself,” he said.
Kharge, however, maintained his criticism of the government and claimed that the survey data reveals serious shortcomings in nutrition and public health.
In his post on Thursday, the Congress president said the BJP government's “absolute incompetence” had been exposed by the NFHS-6 findings. He accused the ruling party of concealing selected data, abandoning vulnerable sections of society, promoting slogans while masking ground realities, shaping public narratives and prioritising the protection of Prime Minister Modi’s public image.
Kharge further claimed that one in five children in India suffers from acute malnutrition and that one-third of the country’s children are underweight. He also alleged that more than 84 percent of children aged between six and twenty-three months do not receive adequate nutrition.
Referring to NFHS-5 data, he said that 57 percent of women aged between 15 and 49 years are anaemic and that one in five women remains undernourished.
The political clash over NFHS-6 has brought India's healthcare and nutrition indicators into sharp national focus, with the government highlighting significant improvements across multiple sectors while the opposition continues to question the pace and effectiveness of welfare delivery. As competing narratives emerge around the survey findings, the data has become a central battleground in the broader debate over governance, public health and social development in India.
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