Statement by Modi on parties failing to honour promises ironic

In this day of instant recall and digital media, it would seem that PM Narendra Modi either has serious credibility issues or pathological ones of comprehension.

At an event on Sunday, he extorted political parties not to make false promises to the people and seek to come to power on grounds that cannot be met.

Mr Modi seems to have quite forgotten his own promises of 2014 that gave to the Indian political lexicon the word ‘jumla’, ordinarily meaning just a composition, voiced by none other than Union Home Minister Amit Shah who made no bones that these jumlas by Modi were just empty rhetoric not to be taken seriously. 

Like the promise of two crore jobs every year to youth. Today unemployment is at an all time high. Or Rs 15 lakh to be paid into the bank accounts of every citizen after the repatriation of black money stashed away abroad. People are still looking at their passbooks and bank statements every week but there is no sign of that money.

Or that he would double the profits of farmers. The farmers are still dying by suicide and the Modi government had to take back the three farm laws, after a prolonged farmers’ strike, that were guaranteed to impoverish them further by swelling corporate coffers. 

And most importantly, that he would put an end to corruption. The Rafale deal is the starkest example of corruption by his government and today there is little doubt that all BJP-ruled states demand a forty percent commission from contractors awarded government works. 

There is also very little doubt today that the Modi government is high on crony capitalism and the resultant corruption while he has never been able to fulfill a single promise he made to the people in 2014 or since.

In the past 24 hours since he made that statement, social media has pointed out in large numbers the difference between what he says and what he does. Among these people was noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan who listed all of Modi’s 2014 promises and asked him if he remembered that he had foretold good days (achche din) for the people.

On the contrary, people are suffering dark days under the Modi regime, another social media user said and wished for the return of the 'burre din' under the UPA where they had jobs and money in their pockets and were not struggling to make both ends meet. 

The Shiv Sena (UBT) also slammed Modi for his statement and said he should turn the mirror inwards to see who had actually come to power on false promises.