Congress takes BJP to task over Amit Shah's 'acche din'

The Congress on Tuesday took the BJP to task over its president Amit Shah's 'definition' of 'acche din', saying that the pre-British time was a period of great turmoil in India.

"What is most interesting is the BJP's definition of 'acche din': the period before the British Raj. Before the British Raj, Mahmud of Ghazni came, who desecrated the Somnath temple; then Muhammad of Ghor came; then Halaku came; then Genghis Khan also came and after that Nadir Shah came. All these invaders, who absolutely ravaged the soul of India - is that their definition of 'acche din'? I am sure the RSS must be turning it its grave today," Congress leader Manish Tewari said.

Earlier, media reports had stated that Amit Shah said that the 'acche din' promised by the BJP will take 25 years to be achieved, adding that a mere five-year rule by the party cannot take the country to the top of the world.

The reports further said that Shah had claimed that 'acche din' represented the pride that India enjoyed before the British Raj, adding that the BJP would need to win elections at 'every level' of the state machinery to regain that admiration.

He, however, stated that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government can reduce inflation, ensure secure borders, make a strong foreign policy, achieve economic development, provide jobs and remove poverty.