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Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a major National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi as the ruling coalition marked 12 years of the Modi government at the Centre.

Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers from NDA-ruled states attended the meeting.

During his address, PM Modi reflected on his political journey and thanked the people for their continued support.

“I never thought such a phase would also come in life. There were many ups and downs in this political journey. Getting the opportunity to serve Mother India for such a long time is possible only through God’s special blessings. For me, the people themselves are a form of God. Thank you for this love and gratitude,” he said.

‘People Trusted NDA After Congress Betrayal’

The Prime Minister said the people of the country placed their trust in the NDA after what he described as “betrayal” by the Congress.

“Several decades before 2014 were filled with instability and turmoil. The country suffered greatly because of it. But now the people of the country are seeing the work of a stable government and are also admirers of its decisive capabilities. I bow before the great people of the country and express my gratitude to the people,” he said.

Recalling the NDA’s first victory under his leadership in 2014, Modi said the alliance had carried the responsibility of protecting the hopes of the people.

“In 2014, when the NDA won, I had said that a new hope had arisen among the common people of the country. Protecting this hope and expectation was a huge responsibility for all of us. After Congress’s betrayal, the people of the country had handed over their trust to us. Today, I feel satisfaction and pride that as the NDA family, we have continuously strengthened that trust,” he said.

PM Modi Targets Congress Over Economic Record

Launching a sharp attack on the Congress, PM Modi claimed the NDA had freed the country from what he called the “Congress growth rate”.

“One of the major achievements of NDA’s 12 years is that the country has been freed from Congress’s vicious cycle. Congress had pushed the country into helplessness, weakness and inferiority. People were made to believe that development in India can happen only slowly and that rapid development was not possible,” he said.

The Prime Minister criticised the use of the term “Hindu growth rate” for India’s earlier economic performance.

“They very cleverly gave slow development a name — ‘Hindu growth rate’. The working style was Congress’s, the responsibility was Congress’s, the failure was Congress’s, but the stigma was placed on the country’s large Hindu population. In reality, this culture should have been called ‘Congress growth rate’,” he said.

India Running At Full Poetential

PM Modi said the Congress era lacked governance, policy clarity and decisive leadership.

“In this Congress growth rate, there was neither good governance, nor policy, nor intent, nor decisions,” he said.

Referring to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure, Modi said the NDA first demonstrated how development could gain momentum, but claimed the country again fell into instability after 2004.

“Development was far away; Congress dragged the country into one scam after another worth thousands of crores of rupees. The country’s fate changed again when the NDA government was formed in 2014. The country saw how development progresses when intent, policy and decisions work together,” he said.

The Prime Minister added: “The question is, if so much can happen in 12 years, why did it not happen over decades? This is the difference between ‘Congress growth rate’ and ‘NDA growth rate’. One system made people wait. Today’s system delivers results. One system delayed and diverted work. Today’s system says the work will happen now, on time and on a large scale. Therefore, the story from 2014 to 2026 is not just a story of numbers, it is the story of an India that decided for the first time to run at its full potential.”