As the Narendra Modi-led NDA government marks its first anniversary in its third term, BJP chief J P Nadda, said that the work done under the Prime Minister’s leadership towards good governance, and welfare of the poor will be etched in “golden letters”.

The BJP-led government also completes 11 years on Monday since it came to power at the Centre in 2014. PM Modi took oath for a third term on June 9, 2024.

“Work done by the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi in the past 11 years were extraordinary, and should be written in golden letters,” Nadda said in a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi.

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Emphasising on a shift post 2014, Nadda said: “That government [Congress-led UPA] before 2014 was full of corruption. There was a negativism. However, after 2014, there was a shift from negativism to optimism. Every one today says ‘Modi hai toh mumkin hai‘”.

On Congress-led UPA prior to 2014

Crediting the PM for transforming the political culture, Nadda came down heavily on the Congress-led UPA government prior to 2014.

“Eleven years ago, our political culture was marked by appeasement, and breaking the fragments of the society to save one’s “chair”. But after Modiji came to power, politics of performance, responsive and responsible government, accountable, politics of report card, emerged to form the new culture. The “new normal”, new order” has been established. It is an effective government, it is a government which has taken strong decisions… It has turned to be a transparent government and a futuristic government,” he said.

Nadda also quoted PM Modi underlining, “This decade will prove to be the base of development of future “Viksit Bharat”.

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He cited Article 370 repeal in Jammu and Kashmir, abolition of triple talaq, Waqf Amendment Act, demonetisation, women quota bill as some of the “bold decisions” takes by the BJP government under PM Modi’s leadership.

“This is the change, this is the bold decision taken by the BJP government,” Nadda added.

On work against terrorism

Nadda, highlighting India’s repsonses towards acts of terrorism in the past 11 years, said, “At the time of Pulwama attack, PM Modi had said, “You have made a huge mistake. You will have to pay for the consequences.” Then happened the Balakot strikes. This time in Madhubani, he said, “You will be answered in a way that’s beyond your imagination…” This became the “new normal.”

“Prime Minister Modi has very clearly stated that any terrorist activity will be considered an act of war. And very clearly iterated that a terrorist and those who shelter terrorists will not be treated differently,” he stated.

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On criticism of Operation Sindoor, foreign policy

Addressing a question on the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of foreign policy and Operation Sindoor under the leadership of PM Modi, Nadda said, “May God give him good sense. It is difficult to understand his motives. In all-party meetings, he says that he stands with the nation, however, when he travels abroad, he raises baseless questions. He is playing the role of an irresponsible opposition by producing such narratives.”

On Oppn’s claim of PM Modi lacking courage to hold press meets

Day after the Congress accused PM Modi of scripting his media interactions, and lacking the courage to hold “undoctored” press meets, Nadda said, “If you see Rahul Gandhi, or Jairam Ramesh, they never discuss the core issues. What’s the problem if a national party chief addresses a press conference on the 11th anniversary of the government? And the number of times the Prime Minister converses with the public, is not even close to the number of times Jairamji ever talked to anyone during his lifetime.”

A day earlier, in a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said leaders across the world hold freewheeling press conferences from time to time, but “ours has had none for 11 years”.

The Congress has been targeting Modi for not facing the media ever since he took over the top post in 2014.