Prime Minister Narendra Modi took sharp aim at Congress’s economic policies during a public rally in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, on Saturday. He accused the party of overlooking India’s huge potential right after independence, keeping the country from reaching its full promise even after decades of freedom.
Speaking to a lively crowd, Modi pointed to the “license-quota raj” that ruled India before 1991. He said it shut the nation out of global markets. Then, when India opened up to globalization, Congress leaders focused too much on imports instead of building homegrown strength. “India has no shortage of potential,” Modi declared. “But Congress ignored it all.”
Modi linked this to massive scams during the Congress-led UPA government. He argued those corrupt deals and weak policies hurt young Indians the most and hid the country’s true power. “Scams worth thousands, lakhs, and crores happened,” he said. “Their policies caused great harm to our youth and blocked India’s real strength from shining through.”
Pushing his vision for a self-reliant India—or Atmanirbhar Bharat—Modi called dependence on other nations the country’s biggest foe. “We have no major enemy in the world,” he explained in a mix of Hindi and English. “Duniya mein koi hamara bada dushman nahi hai. Agar hamara koi dushman hai toh woh hai dusre deshon par hamari nirbharta—our dependence on other countries.” He urged everyone to fight this “enemy of dependence” together for a stronger future.
Modi stressed that relying on imports weakens India and damages national pride. With the world’s largest population, he said, India must cut foreign ties in key areas to ensure stability and growth. “The greater the foreign dependence, the greater the failure,” he warned. “We can’t leave the future of 1.4 billion people or our coming generations in others’ hands. Self-reliant India is the one medicine for a hundred sorrows.”
This isn’t Modi’s first call for Atmanirbhar Bharat. Just days earlier in Assam, he highlighted India’s push for energy independence. He noted how the country spends lakhs of crores yearly importing crude oil and gas, boosting jobs abroad instead of at home. “We had to change this,” Modi said. “That’s why India is now on the path to self-reliance in energy.”
On the same day, Modi kicked off major development projects worth over Rs 34,200 crore at the Samudra se Samriddhi event in Bhavnagar. These initiatives aim to boost local growth and align with his self-reliance goals for India’s economy.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
