'People have remained poor due to short sighted Congress policies: PM Modi tells ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dismissed the opposition's 'suit boot ki sarkar' tag for his government and said that the Congress, during its rule at the Centre, did incremental work so as to keep issues relevant for the next election.

"Suit-boot is definitely more acceptable than suitcase. After ruling for sixty years, the Congress has suddenly remembered the poor. People of this country have suffered and remained poor due to short sighted policies of the Congress. Many countries of the world have surpassed us on all accounts including poverty removal," Prime Minister Modi said.

"Congress did incremental work so as to keep the issue relevant for next election. Did the coal and spectrum scandals or the CWG fiasco benefit the poor? Everyone knows who were their beneficiaries - some chosen industrialists and contractors. The result of Congress's politics and governance of sixty years is that poverty is still our biggest challenge. One-fourth of the families are without shelter. Health, education, water, electricity and roads are even bigger unrealised dreams for a large number of citizens of this country. You should ask them- If you were pro-poor, why does poverty still exist in India?" he added.

The NDA Government, which had had taken charge at the Centre on May 26 last year, completed one year in office on Tuesday. (ANI)

.