Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, saying that India’s first prime minister thought that the Indians were lazy.
“Nehru ji had said from Red Fort that Indians don’t have a habit of working hard. He said that we Indians don’t work as hard as those in Europe, Japan, China, Russia and US. Nehru ji thought that Indians are lazy,” the prime minister said in his reply to ‘Motion of Thanks’ to President’s address in the Lok Sabha.
PM Modi speaks in Lok Sabha. LIVE coverage here
In his 1959 address to the nation, Nehru had said,”How does a community grow? It is through hard work. Our country will progress through hard work and will generate wealth. You look at prosperous countries across the world. How did they achieve it? It is through hard labour.”
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“In India, people are not used to working hard. It is not our fault. Such habits are ingrained due to situation. But we don’t work as much as the people in Europe, Japan, China, Russia and America do. Don’t think those countries became prosperous through magic, but through working hard. We have no other option but through hard work and intelligence,” Nehru had said.
Prime Minister Modi also hit out at Indira Gandhi during his address in the Lok Sabha. “Indira ji did not think differently than Nehru ji. She had said from the Red Fort that when a good work is about to be accomplished, we are filled with content. But in times of distress, we lose hope,” Modi said.
“Looking at the people in Congress today, it seems that Indira ji could not assess the people of the country correctly but assessed Congress absolutely correctly,” Modi said.
“Congress’ mindset is that it has never trusted the capability of the country. It considered itself rulers and the public as someone lesser, someone smaller,” the prime minister said.
Aisha Patel is a dedicated Indian correspondent with a deep understanding of the nation’s diverse affairs. With a background in Indian culture, politics, and current events, she provides in-depth analysis and timely reporting on domestic issues within India.
