New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Thursday mocked at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while addressing overseas Indians at the ongoing Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas meet.
“The Prime Minister said a good thing yesterday that we should not lose heart, good days are coming soon. I don’t need to repeat it today too,” the Gujarat Chief Minister said.
In an apparent reference to the upcoming general elections, Modi said it will take another few months for good days to usher in.
“Yesterday, Prime Minister spoke and said that good days are going to come. But I think, we may have to wait 4-6 months. Everybody wants to develop faster. The faster this development takes, more quickly our country will rise,” he added.
Dr. Singh on Wednesday assured Indian diaspora that the country’s economy is heading for good times, and there is no reason to despair about India’s present or worry about its future.
“I wish to assure you that there is no reason to despair about our present or worry about our future. Indeed, as I have said earlier, we are heading into better times ahead and I would urge you to remain engaged in the future of this country with confidence and optimism,” he added.
Addressing the global Indians, the Gujarat Chief Minister Modi also invoked Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.
“Had it not been for Sardar Patel’s foresight, we may have had to get a Pakistani visa to see Gir lions,” Modi remarked while paying tribute to India’s first home minister. He also described the 75th year of India’s independence in 2022 as an important milestone that could best be celebrated by enabling a “developed India that is globally admired”, with the quality of life driven by speed, scale, skill and smartness.
