New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Conclave on Wednesday, drew a sharp contrast between India’s economic past –often described as the “Hindu growth rate” of sluggish 3–4 per cent — and the present accelerated pace achieved under the NDA since 2014.
One of the defining achievements of the NDA’s twelve years in power has been liberating the nation from what Prime Minister Narendra Modi described as the Congress’ “web of failure”.
Under Congress rule, India was reduced to helplessness, burdened by destitution and an inferiority complex.
The prevailing belief was that development in India would always remain slow. This sluggish pace was infamously labelled the “Hindu Growth Rate”.
Yet, as Prime Minister Modi said, the responsibility lay squarely with Congress — their style of functioning, their indecisiveness, and their policy failures.
The stigma unfairly attached to India’s vast Hindu population should, in truth, have been called the “Congress Growth Rate”.
It was a period devoid of effective governance, intent, or vision.
Prime Minister Modi also said that Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government had briefly shown the country how development could be accelerated, but the “unfortunate” return of Congress in 2004 plunged India back into instability.
What followed was a decade marred by massive scams worth thousands of crores, eroding public trust and dragging the nation into a vortex of corruption.
The turning point came in 2014, when the NDA assumed office.
From that moment, India began to shed the baggage of stagnation and mismanagement, embarking instead on a path of decisive governance, accelerated growth, and renewed confidence.
Prime Minister Modi said the difference between the Congress-era growth and the NDA-era growth was not just statistical but systemic, reflecting a shift to a governance model where “work gets done — on time and on a massive scale”.
PM Modi highlighted that India’s journey from 2014 to 2026 has been marked by resilience amid global instability.
“We can never forget the Covid-19 era,” he said, noting that while major economies faltered, India recorded a satisfactory growth rate.
The Prime Minister underscored reforms aimed at easing the burden on the middle class, including making income up to Rs 12 lakh tax-free and reducing costs of aspirational goods.
He linked these measures to a broader effort to free the nation from uncertainty and empower citizens.
“For us, the nation always comes first; when one works with a ‘Nation First’ spirit, no decision is difficult,” he declared.
Prime Minister Modi also pointed to decisive governance in security and social reforms.
He recalled surgical strikes against terrorists, efforts to curb Naxalism and Maoism, and landmark legislation such as women’s reservation and the ban on Triple Talaq.
These, he said, were part of a larger vision to ensure Constitutional implementation across the country.
Looking ahead, PM Modi stressed that India must now measure itself by global parameters.
“The world seeks solutions from India. This is the time — the right time,” he asserted, urging the nation to expand the speed and scale of progress achieved since 2014.
With India’s share in the global landscape rising, he positioned the NDA’s 12-year record as a foundation for a “Viksit Bharat” that competes and leads internationally.
At the NDA conclave, the proposal was formally moved by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and seconded by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
It received broad support from several key leaders, including Union Ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Union Ministers Chirag Paswan, Jayant Chaudhary, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The proposal was then read out to the gathering by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel.
(IANS)
