Modi targets Indira Gandhi, says 'garibi hatao' was false promise, bank nationalisation a fraud
Mandsaur (MP), Nov 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the late Indira Gandhi on Saturday, saying her famous slogan 'garibi hatao' was a "false promise" and bank nationalisation was a "fraud" in the name of the poor.
Were not those who promised to eradicate poverty "liars", he said in a blistering attack on the Nehru-Gandhi family at a rally here ahead November 28 Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.
He also said if he gets half the time the Congress spent in power, he would bring about a transformation in the country.
Modi's remarks came in the wake of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constant criticism that the BJP made "false promises" to the people in the run up to the 2014 polls.
Modi said the four generations of the Nehru-Gandhi ruled the country, but did not waste a single opportunity to "hoodwink" the people.
"Grandmother of the`Namdar' (dynasty), Shrimati Indira Gandhi, was prime minister of the country. Didn't she give the slogan of removing poverty 40 years ago?" he asked the gathering.
"Tell me honestly, has poverty been eradicated? Wasn't this a false promise? Weren't those who made the promise liars?" Modi asked.
The Prime Minister said that Indira Gandhi nationalised the banks "overnight" claiming that her government was opening their doors for the poor.
However, despite the nationalisation, half the people in the country had not seen the doors of the banks till 2014, he claimed.
"Wasn't it (nationalisation of banks) a fraud in the name of the poor?" he asked.
It was only after his government came up with the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana that the poor got access to the banking system, he said.
"It is true that we need some time to correct mistakes of five-six decades. I have got just four years. Even if I get half the time they (Congress governments) had, I will bring about a drastic change," the Prime Minister said.
Indira Gandhi had given 'Garibi Hatao, Desh Bachao' (remove poverty, save the nation) slogan during the 1971 general election campaign.
Before that, in 1969, her government had nationalised 14 commercial banks.
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
