{"id":1942,"date":"2026-09-06T08:32:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T08:32:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/09\/06\/modi-defends-78-gdp-growth-criticism\/"},"modified":"2026-09-06T08:32:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T08:32:50","slug":"modi-defends-78-gdp-growth-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/2026\/09\/06\/modi-defends-78-gdp-growth-criticism\/","title":{"rendered":"Modi Defends 7.8% GDP Growth Amid Criticism of \u2018Fragile Five\u2019 Label"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Quick Adsense WordPress Plugin: http:\/\/quickadsense.com\/ -->\n<div class=\"9fece8afa224fd09e54b043d0febfb58\" data-index=\"1\" style=\"float: none; margin:10px 0 10px 0; text-align:center;\">\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- NR ATF -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8898941184964366\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"4839033563\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a speech at the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday to rebuke critics who question the country\u2019s recent economic performance. Citing a quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) expansion of 7.8 percent and an upgrade by Japan Credit Rating Agency, Modi said those who have placed India in the so\u2011called \u201cFragile Five\u201d cannot accept the facts.<\/p>\n<h2>Economic milestones highlighted<\/h2>\n<p>During the address, the prime minister highlighted a series of positive indicators that, in his view, demonstrate the resilience of the Indian economy. He pointed to the latest quarterly GDP figure of 7.8 percent, describing it as \u201cimpressive\u201d and a testament to the government\u2019s policies. He also noted that Japan Credit Rating Agency had upgraded India\u2019s rating, a development he presented as external validation of the country\u2019s fiscal health.<\/p>\n<p>Modi linked these achievements to a range of policy initiatives launched under his administration. He referenced the Jan Dhan Yojana, a financial inclusion program aimed at expanding banking services to the unbanked, and the Make\u2011in\u2011India campaign, which seeks to boost domestic manufacturing and attract foreign investment. According to the prime minister, these schemes have contributed to the robust growth trajectory despite a challenging global environment.<\/p>\n<h2>Critics and political context<\/h2>\n<p>The prime minister\u2019s remarks were directed at opponents he described as \u201ccongenital pessimists\u201d and \u201cfault\u2011finders\u201d. While he did not name individuals, he alluded to the Congress party and other political forces that have previously questioned the veracity of growth statistics. He used the Hindi phrase \u201cnaraaz fufa\u201d \u2013 a colloquial reference to a perpetually dissatisfied uncle \u2013 to characterise those who, in his view, consistently undermine positive developments.<\/p>\n<p>Modi also invoked the broader political narrative of his tenure. He recalled his own speech at SRCC in February 2013, which he said helped launch his prime\u2011ministerial campaign months before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formally nominated him. That earlier address, he noted, laid out a vision that has now, according to him, materialised in stronger social and economic security for the nation.<\/p>\n<p>In the current speech, Modi accused detractors of ignoring the \u201cblessings of people\u201d that have helped the government navigate crises. He suggested that opponents failed to factor in the challenges posed by ongoing wars in West Asia and Europe, as well as broader geopolitical tensions, when assessing India\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n<h2>Rhetorical flourishes and cultural references<\/h2>\n<p>The address featured a number of rhetorical devices aimed at resonating with younger audiences. Modi employed the term \u201cOG\u201d \u2013 a slang expression meaning \u201coriginal gangster\u201d \u2013 while discussing the legacy of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, suggesting that the current administration stands as a rock against entrenched interests. He also used the phrase \u201cmai\u2011baap culture\u201d to describe what he portrayed as a patronising attitude that has persisted for decades.<\/p>\n<p>Another notable element of the speech was Modi\u2019s reference to his \u201cdimagi Naxal\u201d comment made during his Independence Day address. He described the earlier remark as a \u201chomeopathic pill\u201d that caused \u201cdimagi Naxals\u201d to emerge, implying that critics who oppose his policies are revealing their true colours. This metaphor was repeated to underline his belief that truth \u2013 \u201cSatya ki Hoonkar\u201d \u2013 will ultimately prevail over what he termed the \u201ccampaign of lies\u201d (Jhooth Ki Goonj).<\/p>\n<p>Throughout the event, the prime minister sought to frame his economic narrative as a battle between factual progress and misinformation. He asserted that the power of truth would eventually overwhelm the alleged campaign of falsehoods, positioning his government as the defender of factual economic performance.<\/p>\n<p>In sum, Modi\u2019s Saturday speech combined a presentation of concrete economic data \u2013 a 7.8 percent quarterly GDP rise and a rating upgrade \u2013 with a broader political defence against critics who label India as part of a fragile group of economies. By invoking past speeches, policy milestones, and cultural references, he aimed to reinforce a narrative of resilience, growth, and moral certainty.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"font-size: 0px; height: 0px; line-height: 0px; margin: 0; padding: 0; clear: both;\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi rejected critics who label India as part of the \u2018Fragile Five\u2019, highlighting a 7.8% quarterly GDP rise and a rating upgrade by Japan Credit Rating Agency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[299],"tags":[1874,1873,216,1985,564,1986],"class_list":["post-1942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-economic-growth","tag-gdp","tag-india","tag-modi","tag-politics","tag-rating-agencies","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1942\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsraise.com\/in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}