Prime Minister Narendra Modi also told the news agency, United News of India, in an interview that the government has managed to usher in ‘acche din’ (good days) in the country.
‘‘While assessing the government on strict parameters, people have given us high marks. You cannot imagine, what would have been the level of price rise and corruption, had this government not assumed power. Prices have come down, that too in adverse weather conditions, ‘Achhe din’ have already been heralded but some people are trying to belittle and tarnish our performance,’’ he told the agency.
A Congress spokesperson compared Modi’s declaration about the arrival of ‘Achche Din’ with America’s declaration of victory when its forces were withdrawing from Vietnam. “During the Vietnam War when the Americans were defeated and were leaving, there was a phrase, ‘Declare victory and leave.’ This is like the same phrase. That is the spirit of that statement,” said Rajeev Gowda. He also said that if prime minister Modi wants to talk about the complexities and realities of India abroad, then he should also talk about women, about difficulties faced by the poor and under his regime, the farmers’ suicides. ‘‘Why is he not talking of all those things,” he quipped.
The Congress spokesperson however had a word of appreciation for chief economic advisor Arvind Subramaniam who had recently pointed out that the rate of poverty decline under the UPA Government was the highest ever. ‘We have a Prime Minister who is unaware of what all has happened over the last 60 years in India, but this historic reduction in poverty has been recognized by his government’s chief economic advisor,” he added.
