Modi's 8 years better than past 60 years: Union Minister Anurag Thakur

New Delhi: Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Friday lashed out at the previous UPA government for keeping the country behind personal goals and interests. Speaking at the conclave of Doordarshan, he said, "The Union Government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been able to sow seeds of development in the remotest corners of India. This is evident that a high number of people have been brought above the poverty line, an achievement in itself in the past eight years."

"The government has been able to achieve in the past eight years what the previous government could not achieve in the last six decades," Thakur said.

Thakur further said that the gap between the rich and the poor has decreased.

"45 crore bank accounts were opened within two years, as a downstream effect of which, today India is making over four billion transactions a month on BHIM UPI, a feat being marvelled at by big tech companies all over the world.

This has enabled India to achieve what no country could do - transfer Rs 21 Thousand crores to accounts of 12 crore farmers at the press of a button by Prime Minister Narendra Modi", he stated.

"The JAM (Jandhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) trinity has demolished the system of corruption by middlemen in benefit transfers schemes. This has saved over Rs two lakh crore of taxpayers` money," Thakur added.

Speaking on the present image of India in the world right now, the Minister said that today Indians can proudly say that the Government in the last 8 years has been blemish-free, the Indian passport is much more respected than before, and the economy has strongly risen, the response to crises like COVID-19 has been swift etc.On 30 May 2022, the Narendra Modi-led government in the Centre completed its eight years in office.

Modi powered BJP led NDA to a thumping win in 2014 over throwing the UPA rule of a decade. In 2019, the victory of the Modi government got even bigger.

It was very recent that Narendra Modi also completed 21 years in the public office right from becoming the chief minister of Gujarat in 2001 to the present day when he is the Prime Minister of the country serving a second term in office.