'Congress Brought The Country Down, We Built It Up': BJP

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday lashed out at the Congress, accusing it of economically bringing the country down during its tenure at the Centre, while asserting that the Narendra Modi government has "enhanced the nation's standing".

This comes after senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram triggered a row by questioning the tangible economic and strategic benefits India had derived from its participation in BRICS and saying that he had not seen any significant outcomes emerging from the recent meetings of the bloc.

Addressing a press conference, the BJP MP cited International Monetary Fund's (IMF) description of India as a key engine of global growth, after the country's economy expanded 7.8 per cent in the second quarter.

"The IMF released its report today and made a very significant observation about India's growth...The IMF has praised the resilience of the Indian economy and acknowledged the progress India is making in the services sector, manufacturing, trade and other areas," he said.

In a veiled attack on Chidambaram, Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "The BRICS summit is underway. A large part of the world is in Delhi today. What are Congress leaders saying? What will India get from BRICS? It is necessary to point out what they did when they were in power and what India's position was in BRICS at that time. Remember, in 2011, 2012 and 2013, India's economy was described as one of the 'Fragile Five' by Goldman Sachs... It was also said that investment in India was drying up."

The BJP MP also added: "During the tenure of former Prime Minister late Manmohan Singh, India's position in BRICS had deteriorated to such an extent that there were calls to remove India and replace it with Indonesia. You (Congress) brought the country down. Today, we have built it up and enhanced its standing. India has emerged as a bright spot within BRICS."

He asserted that the world today looks towards India with enthusiasm and confidence, recognising it as a major global economy that contributes to stability in the world economy.

"This has been possible despite all the challenges, whether it is the energy crisis, problems with global supply chains or the ongoing war and the situation in the Gulf. Despite all these challenges, India's growth rate stands at 7.8 per cent, which the IMF has endorsed, calling it an indication of the resilience of the Indian economy," the BJP MP said.

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