Congress pushed country into misery: PM's 'Hindu growth rate' jibe in 12-year speech

Marking 12 years of the NDA government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India's slow-growth era was wrongly labelled the "Hindu growth rate" and should instead have been called the "Congress growth rate". He alleged that Congress governments pushed the country into "helplessness, misery and an inferiority complex" through years of policy and governance failures.

Addressing a meeting of NDA leaders in Delhi after becoming India's longest-serving elected Prime Minister, PM Modi said one of the NDA government's biggest achievements was freeing the country from what he called the legacy of Congress rule.

"A major success of the NDA's 12 years in power is that the country has been liberated from the vicious cycle of Congress. The country was made to feel that development in India happens slowly, that rapid development is not possible in India. Very cleverly, a name was given to slow development – 'Hindu growth rate'," he said.

The Prime Minister alleged that Congress governments had conditioned Indians to believe that rapid development was impossible, and that economic progress could only take place at a slow pace. He argued that the term unfairly shifted the blame for policy failures onto the country's Hindu majority while shielding the Congress from accountability.

"The working style was of Congress, the responsibility was of Congress, the failure was of Congress, but the stigma was put on the country's large Hindu population. In reality, this bad culture should have been named 'Congress growth rate'," he said.

He asserted that the Congress era was marked by a lack of governance, policy direction, intent and decisive action, resulting in slow growth and public disillusionment.

PM Modi contrasted that period with the NDA's tenure, saying the alliance had restored public faith in government and demonstrated that development could be delivered at scale through political stability and clear intent.

Recalling the NDA's victory in 2014, PM Modi said, "When we won in 2014, I had said that a new hope had dawned for the common citizen of the country. The people of the country entrusted us with their trust after the betrayal of the Congress."

Expressing satisfaction over the NDA's performance, PM Modi said the alliance had strengthened that trust over the past 12 years.

"The rising sun of hope in 2014 has today transformed into a ray of renewed confidence. For the first time, people have seen that when a government is run with the right intentions, development also happens at a rapid pace," he said.

Having first assumed office on May 26, 2014, Narendra Modi completed 4,399 consecutive days as Prime Minister. He overtook the record of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who served 4,398 uninterrupted days as the head of an elected government after the first general elections in 1952.

MODI GOVT'S ACHIEVEMENTS IN 12 YEARS

Highlighting the NDA government's achievements over the past 12 years, PM Modi cited the lifting of more than 250 million people out of poverty during the alliance's tenure as evidence that the government's policies were moving in the right direction.

He said India was building self-reliance in critical sectors ranging from semiconductors and critical minerals to artificial intelligence and quantum computing, while also taking decisive decisions on national security and economic reforms.

"Energy, minerals, chips, battery storage, space, drones, data centres, quantum computing and artificial intelligence are all interconnected sectors and technologies. India cannot remain dependent on foreign countries in these areas because they are linked to our economic and strategic security," he said.

Emphasising the NDA's governance philosophy, PM Modi said national interest had remained paramount in major policy decisions. "The nation is greater than any political party, and when we work with the spirit of 'Nation First', no decision is too difficult," he said.

The Prime Minister cited the scrapping of Article 370, peace initiatives in the Northeast and India's response to terrorism as examples of decisions previous governments had avoided.

"Previous governments hesitated even to discuss Article 370. We removed Article 370 and implemented the Constitution uniformly across the nation. In the past, violence in the Northeast was rampant, but we have restored peace and stability to the region," he said.

Referring to India's counter-terror operations, PM Modi said the country no longer remained silent in the face of attacks. "Previously, India would endure terrorist attacks in silence. Now, we have responded with surgical strikes and airstrikes against terrorists, showcasing India's resolve and strength to the world, as demonstrated in Operation Sindoor," he said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted measures aimed at the middle class, including tax relief and governance reforms. "We understand the challenges faced by the middle class as well as their aspirations. 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," he said.

PM Modi also thanked NDA allies for honouring him on the occasion and said the achievement belonged to the entire alliance and BJP workers rather than to him personally. "I see this not as a personal achievement, but as a testament to our collective efforts. This accomplishment belongs to every NDA member and every BJP worker," he said.

Calling his long tenure a privilege, the Prime Minister said serving the nation had always been a form of spiritual practice and urged NDA leaders to continue working towards the goal of a developed India.

The NDA conclave was attended by leaders from alliance parties and focused on the alliance's governance record, development agenda and roadmap towards the goal of a developed India by 2047.