New Delhi, October 18 (IANS). Reflecting on the pre-2014 policy landscape at the NDTV World Summit on Friday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi painted a grim picture of India’s challenges under Congress rule, accusing the party of fostering policy paralysis, large-scale scams and economic mismanagement that have left the country insecure. Speaking on the theme “Unstoppable India” at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Prime Minister Modi addressed world leaders including Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and outlined India’s transformation against the backdrop of failures in the Congress era. He compared his government’s inclusive reforms to the Congress’s legacy of exclusion. “They turned people away from banks. Poor people were afraid to even go to banks. When we took power, half the population didn’t have bank accounts,” he said. His administration opened over 50 crore Jan-Dhan accounts, democratized finance and made India a global leader in digital transactions. He asserted, “Unlike the Congress, we have worked to democratize politics, not to democratize it. This is the driving force behind Unstoppable India.” He highlighted the reforms in the banking sector that dealt with the NPA crisis inherited from the Congress. Prime Minister Modi has sharply criticized the Congress party’s rule, accusing it of building up a mountain of “non-performing assets” (NPAs), steering citizens away from banking and planning to keep petrol pumps closed for 12 hours a day to avoid subsidies. “Before 2014, discussions focused on tackling global challenges, women’s security issues and terrorist sleepers. Many were skeptical about India’s recovery,” he said. Nevertheless, India has joined the top five global economies. “Inflation is less than 2 percent, and our average growth over the last three years has been 7.8 percent,” Prime Minister Modi announced, referring to recent revisions made by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) in India’s growth forecasts. He highlighted India’s appeal to global investors, citing Google’s recent major investment and growing interest in the energy and semiconductor sectors. He further said, “The world sees opportunities in India and looks to us as a responsible partner.” He dismissed earlier Congress liberalization as “forced reforms” and described its policies as proactive and people-oriented. –IANS Ms/abm
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