Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the NDA's gathering to mark 12 years in office to launch a pointed attack on the Congress, accusing the party of slowing India's development for decades and then unfairly attaching the label of "Hindu Growth Rate" to that period. Addressing leaders of the ruling alliance at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Modi said the sluggish pace of growth seen under previous governments should have been described as the "Congress Growth Rate" because it reflected failures in governance rather than any cultural or civilisational characteristic.
The Prime Minister said India had long been conditioned to believe that rapid development was impossible and that economic progress would always move at a slow pace. According to him, the Congress created an atmosphere of helplessness and low expectations that limited the country's ambitions.
PM Narendra Modi contrasts NDA governance with the Congress era
According to NDTV, drawing a comparison between previous governments and the NDA's record since 2014, Modi argued that the difference lay in intent, execution and accountability. He said the Congress-era system delayed projects and left citizens waiting, while the current administration focused on delivering results at scale and within deadlines.
The Prime Minister said the achievements of the past 12 years demonstrate what can happen when governments operate with clear objectives and a commitment to implementation. He cited poverty reduction, infrastructure expansion and welfare delivery as examples of the changes witnessed under NDA rule.
According to PM Narendra Modi, more than 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty during the NDA's tenure, which he described as evidence that the government's policies are moving in the right direction.
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Major decisions highlighted as milestones
According to NDTV, PM Narendra Modi also used the occasion to revisit several decisions that have defined his years in office. He pointed to the abrogation of Article 370, peace initiatives in the Northeast, military responses to terror attacks, women's reservation, the law against triple talaq and reforms to criminal laws as examples of decisive governance.
He claimed that issues once considered politically untouchable or impossible to resolve had been addressed under his leadership. Referring to security challenges, Modi said the government had demonstrated a willingness to take bold decisions in the national interest and would continue to do so in the future.
The Prime Minister assured party leaders and allies that the pace of decision-making would only accelerate in the years ahead.
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NDA celebrates historic milestone
According to NDTV, the meeting also marked a personal milestone for Modi, who has become India's longest-serving democratically elected prime minister, surpassing the tenure of Jawaharlal Nehru.
A resolution passed by NDA leaders praised Modi's leadership, describing it as a combination of accountability, delivery and integrity. The resolution noted that he is the first non-Congress prime minister to complete two full terms and secure a third consecutive mandate.
The alliance also reiterated its commitment to people-centric development, participative democracy and performance-driven governance, while projecting Modi's vision of a "Viksit Bharat" as a national aspiration that extends beyond party politics.
