Tradition Of PMs Not Carrying Domestic Politics To Indians Abroad Broken After 2014: Congress

The Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, saying it has long been a tradition that PMs do not carry their domestic politics and prejudices to Indian audiences abroad but this convention was broken after May 2014 with the latest example being in Indonesia.

The Opposition party's attack came a day after Modi, while addressing the Indian diaspora in Indonesia, asserted that there is a "huge difference" between pre- and post-2014 India. The prime minister said the country is now moving ahead at an "unprecedented speed and scale" as he showcased the achievements of his term in power to the diaspora in Indonesia.

Attacking Modi, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter, "It's long been a tradition that our PMs do not carry their domestic politics, prejudices & partisanship to Indian audiences abroad. This healthy convention was broken after May 2014, the latest example being in Indonesia where FekuMaster once again showed his self-obsession."

In his remarks at the diaspora event in Bali, where he attended the G20 Summit, Modi had said, "The huge difference between pre- and post- 2014 India is that of speed and scale." "Today, India is moving ahead at an unprecedented speed and scale," he had said, adding that India now builds the biggest statues and the biggest stadiums.

The Modi-led BJP government was voted to power in 2014. The ruling BJP again swept back to power in the 2019 general elections. Though Modi was indirectly referring to the term of his government at the Centre, he stopped short of naming previous governments, or any particular political party.

"We don't dream small anymore. Since 2014, we have opened more than 320 million bank accounts. More than the population of USA," he had said. "Today, India is the fastest growing large economy in the world," Modi said.

(With PTI inputs)