New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, saying the sluggish economic growth during its rule was cunningly dubbed the “Hindu growth rate” when it should have been named the “Congress growth rate” as it was characterised by a complete absence of governance.
Addressing a conclave of NDA leaders on a day when he crossed the record of Jawaharlal Nehru’s 4,398 days in power as an elected prime minister, Modi said a big success of 12 years of NDA rule since 2014 was that it freed the country from the Congress’s “vicious trap” and asserted that the people of the country have understood the importance of political stability and decisive governance.
The sluggish growth under the Congress rule was labelled the “Hindu growth rate”, implying that while the style, responsibility, and failure were all Congress’s but the stigma was pinned on the country’s vast Hindu population, Modi said.
At the conclave, a resolution was passed congratulating Modi on becoming the longest continuously serving elected prime minister.
“On this occasion, the members of the NDA family have presented a resolution. I view this not as a personal achievement, but as a testament to your generosity and our collective efforts. From every perspective, this accomplishment belongs to all of us — it is equally the achievement of every NDA member. Therefore, I dedicate this resolution to all members of the NDA, including the dedicated BJP karykartas,” he said.
In the resolution, the ruling alliance hailed Modi’s “visionary leadership and tireless dedication to public service” and said his governance model is responsive to citizens, innovative in its approach and transformative in its impact, in the true spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’.
In his 37-minute speech largely focussed on his government’s achievements of the last 12 years and his vision for achieving Viksit Bharat, Modi said the dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ does not belong to a person or any party, but has become the resolve of every person in the country.
“We recognise the challenges faced by the middle class, as well as their aspirations for a better future. To support them, income up to Rs 12 lakh per annum is now tax-free. Today, the country benefits from a simple and faceless tax system. Improved infrastructure has made daily life easier, and over the past 12 years, new opportunities have been created for the children, students and the middle class,” he said.
Attacking the Congress, he said the party had plunged the country into an abyss of “helplessness, destitution, and an inferiority complex” during its rule.
He attributed the stronger economic growth during the 12 years of his government to the difference between the Congress growth rate and the NDA growth rate.
“The nation was conditioned to believe that development in India inevitably moves at a slow pace and rapid growth was simply not possible here. With great cunningness, this sluggish growth was labelled the ‘Hindu Growth Rate’, implying that while the style, responsibility, and failure were all Congress’ but the stigma was pinned on the country’s vast Hindu population,” Modi said.
“This should have been named ‘Congress Growth Rate’. This ‘Congress Growth Rate’ was characterised by a complete absence of governance, policy, intent, and decisiveness,” he said.
It was under Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s leadership that the NDA government first came to power and only then did the country catch a glimpse of what accelerated development looks like, Modi said.
“Unfortunately, however, in 2004, the country was once again caught in a cycle of instability,” he said, referring to the Congress-led UPA rule from 2004-2014.
He said the Congress dragged the country into multi-crore rupee scams.
“The nation’s destiny changed again when the NDA government was formed in 2014. The country witnessed the pace of development when intent, policy, and decision-making align and work in unison,” Modi said.
Congratulatory messages by world leaders, standing ovation at Union Cabinet meeting and puja-aarti by BJP leaders across the country marked the day when Modi broke Nehru’s record.
President Droupadi Murmu wrote a personal letter to him, while former president Ram Nath Kovind and several other leaders including JD-U chief Nitish Kumar and former Union minister in the Indira Gandhi government, Karan Singh, wrote articles in newspapers.
Kovind termed the feat as a journey from “discovery of India to trust in Bharat”, in a reference to Jawaharlal Nehru’s ‘Discovery of India’.
Separately, the Union Cabinet unanimously passed a resolution applauding Modi for achieving the feat and gave him a standing ovation for it.
On Wednesday, Modi crossed the record of Nehru’s 4,398 days in power as an elected prime minister following the 1952 general elections. Nehru’s stint from 1947 to 1952 was as head of an interim government as elections were not held till 1952.
Leaders from several countries have extended their greetings to Modi.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake sent a congratulatory letter to Modi for his rare distinction.
Those who greeted Modi on social media include Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Israeli envoy Reuven Azar congratulated the prime minister and said this achievement is a powerful testament to Modi’s decades of dedicated public service and leadership.
Congratulating Modi, key NDA ally and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said some leaders govern a nation, a few reshape its trajectory.
“Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s 4,399 consecutive days in office have been defined by a singular effort to transform India at every level, from the everyday lives of its citizens to the nation’s standing in the world. Today, as he becomes India’s longest-serving Prime Minister, we celebrate not merely a record, but a period of change that has touched every corner of the country,” Naidu said.
Apart from the article, Nitish Kumar, a key NDA partner, also wrote on ‘X’ terming the occasion “historic”.
“Under your leadership, the country has achieved numerous significant milestones in the fields of development, good governance, and public welfare. India’s global stature has also continued to rise,” Kumar said.
Most of the Union ministers took to social media to congratulate Modi for the milestone.
Prayers and public activities were organised in Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi, while ‘maha aartis’ performed across temples in Gujarat, his home state.
Union minister Kiren Rijiju posted a video of offering prayer. “Prayed to Lord Buddha to bless Hon’ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji with good health and long life,” Rijiju, a Buddhist, said on X.
According to a booklet released to mark the occasion, the reduction in income tax burden over the past 12 years reflects the government’s vision of ‘Ramrajya’.
Reforms like GST, faceless tax, and Digital India have helped build 12 years of trust in the public system, which will support India in becoming a USD 5-trillion economy, the booklet said.
However, the opposition Congress launched a scathing attack on Modi, saying he may have passed a “self-proclaimed and dubiously invented” milestone but he is a “millstone” around India’s neck, presiding over the “murder of democracy”.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Nehru became prime minister of India on August 15, 1947 presiding over a stellar Cabinet – the likes of which have rarely been seen in the world.
