Narendra Modi slams UPA's 'biryani' foreign policy

Asserting that he has given a new meaning to “development” during his 12-year rule in Gujarat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said that the greatest challenge facing India is restoring the trust of the people.

Modi made the remarks in his video-link address to the people of the Gujarati community living in 20 cities across the US, which lasted for more than an hour and was followed by a questions and answers session.

In his address, Modi lashed out at the UPA Government and alleged that people of India have lost “trust and confidence” in the centre, due to its “poor governance” and high corruption.

“I feel biggest crisis (today) is lack of confidence. We need to get this trust back. This cannot be merely done by words: Biggest need today is trust,” Modi said.

Besides the overseas Gujarati community across the country, who had organised the event on the occasion of Gujarat Divas (Gujarat day), Indian students in several US universities, like the University of Maryland, had gathered together to watch Modi’s live address.

In his speech, Modi insisted that India is experiencing a new crisis due to developments in the last few months, as he narrated several corruption related incidents.

Lashing out at the foreign policy of the UPA government, he alleged that New Delhi is being ruled by weak leaders.

It is unbelievable that India’s Foreign Minister is seen reading the speech of his counterpart from another country, he said. “Heads of our soldiers are cut but then their Prime Minister is fed chicken biryani,” he said in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

“Then questions are raised: China withdraws its forces but I wonder why Indian forces are withdrawing from Indian territory? Why did we retreat (from our own territory)?” he said in relation to the Ladakh standoff and allegations that India had agreed to dismantle a bunker on its own territory before the Chinese troops withdrew,

Addressing the Gujarati Diaspora community, Modi claimed that during his rule in Gujarat, he has given a new meaning to development, which is not only inclusive but integrates.

PTI