Modi slams Cong over ‘Hindu rate of growth’ remark
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday criticized the term “Hindu rate of growth,” arguing that it unfairly associated India’s sluggish economic performance in the decades after Independence with Hinduism. Speaking at an event, he said the phrase was an insult to Hindus and suggested that it should instead be referred to as the “Congress growth rate,” holding the Congress party responsible for the country’s economic policies and growth trajectory during that period.
The term “Hindu rate of growth” was coined by economists to describe India’s relatively low annual economic growth, particularly between the 1950s and 1980s. Over the years, the phrase has sparked debate, with critics arguing that it wrongly links economic outcomes to a religion rather than to policy decisions and governance.
Modi said the term reflected what he described as the Congress party’s mindset and accused it of disrespecting Hindu traditions and culture. He maintained that the economic challenges of that era were the result of policy choices and administrative failures, not Hindu beliefs or values.
The remarks come amid ongoing political sparring between the BJP and the Congress over issues ranging from history and governance to economic policy. The Congress party had not responded to Modi’s comments at the time of writing.
