‘May God Give Rahul Gandhi Sense…’: JP Nadda Mocks Lok Sabha LoP

New Delhi: Coming down heavily on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda termed him as an “irresponsible” opposition leader for “raising baseless questions” and said, “May God give him good sense.” 

Addressing a press conference to mark the BJP’s 11th anniversary in the government, Nadda said, “It is difficult to understand his (Gandhi's) aim. He attends the all-party meeting and says he stands with the country. He goes outside and raises questions that are baseless. I can only say that he is playing the role of an irresponsible opposition.”

On the Opposition’s predictions about the party’s stability, he said, “Our government is strong. It will last for five years in this term and the next too.” 

“The government led by Modi has laid the foundation of a 'Viksit Bharat', and India is successfully on its way to achieving its goals with people's participation”, he said.

Slamming Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, Nadda said “The prime minister converses more with people than the Congress general secretary would have spoken to anyone in his life.”

He further lauded the government as "damdaar and asardaar' (strong and impactful)", adding that it has lived up to the mantra of "reform, perform and transform" while embracing the motto of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas'.

Key Milestones India Achieved

1. India Becomes the Fourth-Largest Economy in the World

India has overtaken Japan to become the fourth-largest economy globally, trailing only the United States, China, and Germany, according to NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam.

Citing IMF data, Subrahmanyam stated that India's economy has reached a nominal GDP of approximately USD 4 trillion—an impressive jump from around USD 2.1 trillion in 2014. The IMF has also confirmed that India’s economy is now larger than Japan’s.

2. Digital India Push

Launched on July 1, 2015, Digital India aimed to connect rural areas with high-speed internet and empower the country to become more digitally advanced. One major success of this initiative is the growth of UPI (Unified Payments Interface).

In October 2024, UPI achieved a record by processing 16.58 billion financial transactions in a single month, reflecting a 45% year-on-year increase. The value of transactions processed reached ₹23.49 lakh crore.

“India’s digital payments revolution is gaining international traction, with UPI and RuPay expanding across borders,” stated the Ministry of Finance in a press release. Currently, UPI is operational in seven countries: the UAE, Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, France, and Mauritius.

3. Make in India

Launched in September 2014, the Make in India initiative was designed to boost manufacturing, exports, and economic strength. They key achievements include:

1. Ease of Doing Business: India’s global ranking has improved due to streamlined regulations.

2. FDI Inflows: The country attracted over USD 667.41 billion in foreign direct investment between April 2014 and March 2024.

3. Startup Ecosystem: A surge in innovation and entrepreneurship has emerged.

4. Sectoral Growth: Notable expansion in sectors such as automobiles and electronics.

4. Atmanirbhar Bharat & ‘Vocal for Local’

5. Infrastructure

India has witnessed massive infrastructure growth over the past decade:

Roads: A 500% increase in the transport and highways budget led to highway construction reaching 37 km/day in 2020–21. The National Highway network expanded from 91,287 km in 2014 to 1,46,145 km by 2023, as stated by PIB. 

PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana): Over 3.74 lakh km of rural roads constructed since 2014.

Railways: Around 136 Vande Bharat trains are operational now

Aviation Sector: The number of operational airports has more than doubled, from 74 in 2014 to 157 in 2024, according to PIB.

6. Space Achievements

ISRO has marked historic milestones, including:

The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon.

Launching Aditya-L1, India’s first mission to study the Sun.

7. PM Jan Dhan Yojana

This financial inclusion initiative enabled millions of Indians to open bank accounts and access direct benefit transfers, improving transparency and welfare distribution.

8. Ayushman Bharat

Under this health insurance scheme, millions of underprivileged Indians have received free treatment and health benefit transfers, making healthcare more accessible and affordable.

9. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

Launched in 2014, the cleanliness drive led to large-scale sanitation improvements, construction of millions of toilets, and heightened awareness of hygiene and cleanliness.

10. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: Caring for the Girl Child

Launched on January 22, 2015, in Panipat, Haryana, this campaign addresses the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and promotes the empowerment of the girl child through a tri-ministerial effort involving the Ministries of Women & Child Development, Health & Family Welfare, and Education.