New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) Reflecting on the pre-2014 policy landscape at the NDTV World Summit on Friday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi painted a grim picture of India’s challenges under Congress rule, accusing the party of fostering policy paralysis, rampant scams, and economic mismanagement that left the nation vulnerable.

Speaking on the theme “Unstoppable India” at the Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, PM Modi addressed an audience of global leaders, including Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, framing India’s transformation against the backdrop of Congress-era failures.

PM Modi contrasted his government’s inclusive reforms with Congress’s legacy of exclusion.

“They distanced people from banks; poor people were scared to even enter them. When we took over, half the population lacked bank accounts,” he said.

His administration opened over 50 crore Jan Dhan accounts, democratising finance and making India a global leader in digital transactions.

“Unlike Congress, we worked to democratise policies, not governmentalise them. This is the driving force behind Unstoppable Bharat,” he emphasised, highlighting banking sector reforms that tackled the NPA crisis inherited from Congress.

Launching a scathing critique of the Congress party’s governance, PM Modi accused it of creating a “mountain of non-performing assets” (NPAs), alienating citizens from banking, and planning to shutter petrol pumps for 12 hours daily to evade subsidies.

“Before 2014, discussions centred on bracing for global headwinds, women’s safety concerns, and terrorist sleeper cells. Many doubted India’s recovery,” he said.

Yet, India has since risen from the “fragile five” to a top-five global economy.

“Inflation is below 2 per cent, and our average growth over the last three years has been 7.8 per cent – an unprecedented achievement,” PM Modi declared, citing recent IMF (International Monetary Fund) upward revisions to India’s growth forecasts.

The Prime Minister also criticised Congress’s subsidy policies, noting their plan to close petrol pumps from 8 pm to 8 am to avoid funding them.

“Now, stations operate round-the-clock, ensuring accessibility,” he said, underscoring his government’s commitment to public welfare.

PM Modi highlighted India’s appeal to global investors, citing Google’s recent major investment and growing interest in the energy and semiconductor sectors.

“The world sees opportunity in India and views us as a responsible partner,” he added. PM Modi framed India’s journey as transforming “every risk into reform, reform into resilience, and resilience into resolution.”

Dismissing Congress’s earlier liberalisation as “reforms out of compulsion,” he positioned his policies as proactive and people-centric.

As the summit, themed “Edge of the Unknown: Risk, Resolve, Renewal,” hosted global discourse, PM Modi’s address reaffirmed India’s ascent, casting his government’s reforms as a decisive break from Congress’s missteps, paving the way for a stronger, more inclusive nation.

–IANS

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