Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a pointed dig at the Opposition on Saturday during his address at Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce, describing a section of critics as a “Naraz Fufa”, an eternally upset uncle whose favourite pastime is finding fault with everything.
What PM Modi said
And after our government was formed in 2014, we demonstrated that change in practice.
In what appeared to be a veiled reference to Congress MP and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, whose student outreach campaign is titled ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’, PM Modi remarked, “Main jaanta hoon, sach ki hunkkaar ke aage jhooth ki goonj tik nahi sakegi” (I know that the echo of lies cannot stand before the roar of truth). He further alleged that the visit sidestepped issues affecting students and citizens more broadly, adding that the timing was no coincidence: “SRCC, which has given so much to the country, has also been turned into PM Modi’s election platform by him, because the Student Union election is on September 18 at Delhi University.” He also contrasted his government’s working style with that of previous administrations, saying: “Those who governed the country for a long time had a particular style: wake up only when there is a fire, and dig a well only when there is a drought. I had spoken about changing this approach. If Pakistan indulges in any misadventure, India’s armed forces enter their territory and strike. He added that calm had returned to once-troubled regions: “Peace has increased from Jammu and Kashmir to the Northeast. The back of Maoist terrorism and Naxalism has been broken. The Congress wasted little time responding. At a press conference held shortly after, party leader Kanhaiya Kumar dismissed the visit as nothing more than image-building.
On security, the Prime Minister claimed a shift in India’s standing: “Today, those spreading terrorism are on the back foot. The world that was once concerned about India’s policy paralysis is today talking about India’s policy dynamism.
