PM Modi slams critics, Opposition 'pessimism' on 7.8% growth

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi countered the controversy over the 7.8% growth figures, emphasising that this has come about at a time when the world is reeling under the impact of the West Asia crisis and the challenges to international trade. He attacked the Opposition and critics of the government, saying those who had pushed India to one of the "fragile five" economies are today adopting a pessimistic attitude and questioning all efforts being made for the country's progress.

Addressing students of Shree Ram College of Commerce on it's centenary celebrations here, the prime minister recalled his earlier visit to the institution in 2013 as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate and said the situation prevailing in the country then was gloomy and compared it to the present. The headlines in newspaper and news channels then talked of corruption, cross border terrorism, soldiers getting killed at LoC, high inflation and Current Account Deficit, India in fragile five, and policy paralysis while today there is tremendous growth in manufacturing sectors, indigenous defence production, peace in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East, terrorism down, and Atmanirbharta (self-reliance).

"When I came here in 2013, I had talked about three types of people- those who say the glass is half full, those who say it is half-empty and those who say it is full- half with water and the other half with air. In 2013, the country was steeped in depression. I had said that the glass is full," Modi said, adding that India has now moved to policy dynamism and is the fastest growing major economy in the world.


The prime minister's interaction with the Gen Z crowd has come days after the Jantar Mantar protests by students over the NEET paper leak issue.

Modi underscored that the 7.8% growth figure has increased the enthusiasm all around. "The Japanese rating agency has also upgraded India's rating...," he said.