This refers to the article, “India regains centre at Davos meet” (January 29) by Balbir Punj. In the World Economic Forum meet at Davos, Prime Minister Modi delivered the inaugural speech in Hindi, which was reminiscent of former External Affairs Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic speech in the United Nations in Hindi in the late 1970s. Host, Klaus Schwab made Prime Minister Modi address the gargantuan gathering of over 3,000 world leaders, keeping the powerful US President reserved for the valedictory address, which was eulogised the world over. The Indian Prime Minister rightly deserved to be called for the inaugural address. It is under his stewardship that India has made steady progress from registering consistent Gross Domestic Product growth to moving the Ease of Doing Business global ranking from 130 to 100, to the liberalisation of FDI rules.
As far as Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s diatribes against Prime Minister Modi is concerned, he is at liberty to do so by virtue of having the freedom of expression to do so. But the way the fulmination is being made, it should be accepted, even in smattering number by other Opposition parties too. In fact, Rahul Gandhi refuses to grown up. His language, his political world view and callow articulations keep reminding us that while Prime Minister Modi has entered the hearts and minds of the country’s youth as a near iconic figure, he still languishes as a wannabe.