PM Modi Calls ‘Garibi Hatao’ the Biggest ‘Jumla’ in India’s History

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 14th Dec. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of using “jumla” as a political weapon, calling the slogan ‘Garibi Hatao’ (Remove Poverty) given by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the biggest “jumla” in India’s history.

Replying to a two-day debate in the Lok Sabha on the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution, Prime Minister Modi said that the Congress party frequently uses the term “jumla” to criticize the promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The opposition has often used the term “jumla” to label the government’s pledges as empty rhetoric.

However, Modi turned the tables on the opposition, claiming that the slogan ‘Garibi Hatao’, coined during Indira Gandhi’s 1971 election campaign, was the biggest political promise that failed to deliver. He said, “Our friends in the Congress use this term day and night. But this country knows, the biggest ‘jumla’ in India, which has been used by four generations, is ‘Garibi Hatao’.”

The slogan, which aimed to eradicate poverty, was widely used by the Congress for electoral gains, Modi said, but it never translated into tangible benefits for the poor. “It was a ‘jumla’ which helped them politically, but did not help the poor,” he added.

Modi also addressed allegations by the opposition about the BJP’s promises, particularly the criticism regarding the government’s efforts to improve the living conditions of the underprivileged. In a sharp response, he pointed out that his government had initiated programs for improving sanitation and building toilets for the poor, a contrast to the promises made by the Congress that, according to him, failed to address the issues at the grassroots.

“Can someone tell, should people not even have toilets? The movement to build toilets has been started by my government,” Modi said, emphasizing the significant steps his administration had taken to improve the living conditions of the impoverished.

The Prime Minister further criticized opposition leaders, accusing them of being disconnected from the realities of poverty. “You have seen the poor and poverty on TV and newspapers, you do not know what poverty is,” Modi remarked, drawing a stark contrast between his government’s actions and the alleged inaction of past administrations.

This fiery exchange comes as the political battle heats up over various issues, with the BJP and Congress trading barbs ahead of future elections.