Maoist terror thrived under Congress: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said Maoist terror-free India was his guarantee and the day was not far when Naxal violence would be a thing of the past.

Speaking for the first time on what he described as factors that harboured Naxal violence for years, the PM attacked erstwhile Congress governments, saying Maoist terror flourished under them.

“Urban Naxals were prominent under Congress rule. They employed the tool of censorship to prevent the country from knowing about the realities of Maoist terror. Urban Naxals flourished under the Congress and kept India in the dark...All major states were affected by Maoist violence and the writ of the Indian Constitution did not run in red corridors. But that is no longer the case,” the PM said addressing a private event here.

In a veiled jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who carries a copy of the Constitution with him, Modi said, “Those who dance around with the Constitution in hands even today work to protect Naxals who killed thousands of civilians and security personnel over years. But for the first time in 55 years today, Maoist-free regions of India will celebrate Diwali and light diyas of joy.”

He was referring to the mass surrender of Naxals in Chhattisgarh today and said those “303 naxals whose 303 rifles terrorised people have surrendered in just past 75 hours”.

Terming Naxal terrorism a sin against the youth, the PM said those who surrendered carried rewards ranging from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 1 crore.

“But they have now acknowledged their mistakes and embraced the Constitution. Today, for the first time, I have voiced this pain. I feel immensely satisfied that we have liberated the youth from the shackles of Maoist terrorism,” Modi said, adding that the number of Left-Wing Extremism-affected districts has come down from 125 to 11, with just three being the most severely affected.

The PM dwelt in detail on the high growth projections international agencies have made about the Indian economy saying India was now “unstoppable”.

In a dig at the Congress, which ushered in the 1991 economic reforms, Modi said those reforms were rooted in “IMF-driven compulsions”.

“The reforms we have undertaken and which the IMF has acknowledged as bold are rooted in conviction. There is a difference,” Modi said.

Citing Google’s $15 billion commitment to AI space in Andhra Pradesh, the PM said India’s growth was driving global opportunities.

“India is today seen as a responsible, reliable and resilient partner. The EFTA trade agreement is a major example of this. European nations have committed $100 billion investment in India and this will lead to jobs,” he said expressing confidence in the growing wave of global investments on the back of S&P Global Ratings in August upgrading India’s long term sovereign credit rating to BBB from BBB-.

Taking frequent digs at the past Congress governments for “nationalising policies and processes”, Modi said India’s growth under the BJP-led NDA dispensation was the result of “consistent democratisation of policies and processes”.

As examples of this democratisation, the PM cited his government’s schemes — opening 50 crore bank accounts; expanding digital payment infrastructure; reviving public sector undertakings; delivering 11 crore free gas connections to poor as examples.

Contrasting erstwhile Congress time slogans of “garibi hatao” with pulling 25 crore out of poverty over the past decade, the PM said, “India is unstoppable because of the expanding confidence of its people.”