NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday described the slogan “Garibi Hatao” as the “biggest ‘jumla'” in India’s history during a Lok Sabha debate commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Indian Constitution.
PM Modi targeted the Congress party for frequently accusing the BJP government of using “jumlas.” He countered by claiming that the Congress party’s own slogan, popularised by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was the most prominent example of a “jumla.”
“Their most favourite word, without which they can’t live, is ‘jumla’,”PM Modi said. He continued by stressing the slogan used during Indira Gandhi’s 1971 election campaign. “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.'”
PM Modi argued the slogan, while politically beneficial for the Congress, failed to alleviate poverty. He cited his own government’s initiatives, such as toilet construction, as genuine efforts to help the poor. “It was a ‘jumla’ which helped them politically, but did not help the poor,” PM Modi said.
PM Narendra Modi’s Remarks | Discussion on the Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India
He further criticised the opposition, saying,”You have seen the poor and poverty on TV and newspapers, you do not know what poverty is.”
