Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared a compilation of a few speeches given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his international tours over his 10-year tenure. With the short clips from these speeches, Supriya accused PM Modi of portraying India in a negative light on a global platform. Supriya wrote, “Who is answerable for the shameless actions displayed in China, South Korea, Germany, Doha, Canada, Australia, America, and Britain?” (Archived link)
भक्तों, यह ‘विदेश जा कर देश के बारे में बोलने’ वाला तुम लोगों का जुमला अब बासी और पुराना हो गया है 🥱
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) September 10, 2024
कुछ नया खोजो
और हाँ लगे हाथ यह बताओ कि चीन, दक्षिण कोरिया, जर्मनी, दोहा, कनाडा, ऑस्ट्रेलिया, अमेरिका, ब्रिटेन में की हुई इनकी निर्लज्जता का जवाब कौन देगा?😱 pic.twitter.com/znlom55dGh
The 2 minutes and 40 seconds clip, which consists of PM Modi’s remarks from his different foreign visits, begins with the first 30 seconds showing his remarks from visits to Shanghai and South Korea, where he stated, “I don’t know what sins we committed in our previous birth that we were born in India.” In the next 30 to 45 seconds, a clip from his Germany visit features PM Modi saying, “Which was that paw that used to swindle 85 paise from one rupee?” From 46 seconds to 1 minute and 41 seconds, the video includes clips from his visits to Australia and America, where PM Modi stated that the previous government used to boast about making new laws, but he enjoys putting an end to those laws. The following clip from his visit to Doha shows him stating, “Because of the indecency, indecisiveness, and incorrect perceptions of the government and its leaders, I will focus on resolving the issues that have been stalled.” During his visit to Canada, PM Modi remarked, ‘Those who wanted to create mess did so and left, but we will ensure it is cleaned up.” Furthermore, from 2 minutes and 7 seconds, PM Modi in California is heard saying, “Much of the India we dream of has yet to be built.”
Apart from Supriya, the Congress troll account Rofl Gandhi also shared the clip of PM Modi visit from Seoul, Korea where he is saying, “People believe that they had to take birth in India because of the sins of their previous life.” (Archived link)
लोगों को लगता है कि पिछले जन्म के पापों के कारण हिंदुस्तान में जन्म लेना पड़ा
— Rofl Gandhi 2.0 🏹 (@RoflGandhi_) September 11, 2024
~ PM मोदी (दक्षिण कोरिया, 2015) pic.twitter.com/1l5GUZvx7v
The parody account of YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, known for sharing misinformation, shared edited clips from Germany, South Korea, China, the US, Canada and Doha. Rathee’s parody, wrote, “This is how Modiji increases his respect by going to foreign countries The media (foot magnet) will never show it.” (Archived link)
मोदी जी विदेशो में जाकर इस तरह मान सम्मान बढ़ाते है
— Dhruv Rathee Parody (@Dhruv_Rathee20) September 13, 2024
मिडिया ( चरण चुम्बक ) कभी नहीं दिखायेगी https://t.co/9lEzVhXBh6 pic.twitter.com/7Dn1qsy3Dw
However, these clips shared by Supriya and Rofl Gandhi are misleading and shared out of context.
Fact Check
1. PM Modi remark ‘I don’t know what sins we committed in our previous birth that we were born in India’ from Shanghai and South Korea visit is pulled out of context
PM Modi during his visit to China in 2015, addressed the Indian community in Shanghai. In the video shared on BJP YouTube channel, from 50:32 minutes, PM Modi says, “Within a year, whether it is the World Bank, IMF, or any global rating agencies, the consensus has been that India’s growth has exceeded 7%, and India is today the fastest-growing country in the world. Within a year (forget about it, people said it was doomed, nothing would come of it, oh God save us, who knows what sins we committed in our previous birth that we were born in India), this was the sentiment. But today, the world says that if there is any country advancing the fastest, it is India.”
Further, during his visit to South Korea in 2015, at the 5-minute mark in the video, PM Modi says that India is the fastest-growing economy in the world. At 7 minutes and 37 seconds, he again remarked that there was a time when people used to regret being born in India and would leave the country. He said, “People were disheartened and angry, but today I can confidently say that various prominent individuals and great scientists, no matter how much they earn abroad—even if it is less—they are eager to return to India.”
Contrary to the claim made by Supriya, during both his visit, PM Modi did not disrespect India by expressing regret over his birth here. He was referring to how, one year after the BJP came into power, the World Bank, IMF, and other organizations began to recognize India as the world’s fastest-growing economy in the world. It has also changed the views of those who previously expressed regret about being born here.
2. PM Modi’s ‘Which was the paw that used to swindle 85 paise from one rupee’ was the comment made at the Congress in Germany
In 2015, PM Modi addressed the Indian community in Berlin, Germany. In his address, he highlighted the achievements of his 8-year tenure, mentioning everything from economic development to startups, ‘local for vocal,’ and direct benefit transfer (DBT). During this, he made sharp remarks against the previous Congress governments. He mentioned that today, 10,000 services of the Center and the states are available online. In the video, at 30 minutes and 31 seconds, he targeted the Congress government and said, ‘Which was the paw that used to swindle 85 paise from one rupee?”
This jibe referred to the famous statement by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of the Congress party, who once said that only 15 paise out of every rupee meant for public welfare actually reached the intended beneficiaries, implying that the remaining 85 paise was lost to corruption and inefficiency within the system. With this, PM Modi tried to imply that, unlike before, it is now being ensured that the entire amount reaches the intended recipients without being siphoned off.
3. PM Modi in Australia and America talked about removing outdated laws made during Congress government
During his visits to Australia in 2017 and America in 2014, PM Modi spoke about eliminating the laws introduced by the previous government. In the video from his Australia visit, at the 55 minute and 31 seconds mark, he said that the previous government used to take pride in creating new laws, but he prefers repealing them. Similarly, in the video from his America visit, at 49 minutes and 16 seconds, he stated that the previous government used to take pride in making laws, and this was also mentioned during election campaigns. However, he started removing the useless and outdated laws. He formed a committee of experts and instructed them to get rid of these laws.
The 2017 article from India Today mentions that under the Modi government, 1,200 outdated and irrelevant laws that had persisted for years were repealed. Some of these laws had bizarre rules, such as requirements for inspectors to have well-brushed teeth, restrictions on toll taxes for boats in obsolete denominations, and peculiar demands like classifying kites as aircraft. Many of these laws created unnecessary obstacles for administration and business. The article further mentioned that during the 2014 election, PM Modi had promised that for every new law passed, his government would repeal ten obsolete ones. The repealed laws also included those related to capturing wild elephants, outdated medical practices, and old agreements with Pakistan.
4. During his 2015 visit to Doha, PM Modi said that he would address all pending economic issues
PM Modi addressed an investors meet at Masdar City, Abu Dhabi in 2015 where he made a strong pitch for investing in India. He said many are calling the 21st century the Asian century and if India and the UAE work together they can make this dream a reality. He described India as a land of opportunities and said 125 crore Indians should be seen not just as a market but also as a great power. He said major agencies including the IMF and the World Bank agree that India is now the world’s fastest growing major economy with huge potential for growth.
PM Modi said that he would address and resolve all issues in the economic sphere. He stated that due to the indecency, indecisiveness, and incorrect perceptions of the government and its leaders, things had come to a halt, and he would focus on resolving these stalled issues.
5. ‘Those who created mess have gone, we will clean it up’ Modi targeted the opposition during his Canada visit
PM Modi in Canada in 2015 had said that earlier, the country was known as “Scam India.” He expressed a desire for India to now be recognized as “Skilled India.” Steps have been taken toward development. The corruption-free and transparent governance that has emerged in the last ten months has created an environment of trust in the country. He further added that India is very large, and there can be a lot of mess and filth here. It will take time to clean and fix these issues, but this work will definitely be done because the country’s outlook has changed. The country is facing many challenges. His remark at 32 seconds in the video, “Those who created the mess have gone; we will clean it up,” was most likely a jibe at the opposition in India without naming them.
6. During California visit PM Modi said embracing opportunities and overcoming challenges to shape the future
“Much of the India we dream of is yet to be built,” Modi said in the video shared by Supriya. The video is from the 2015 Digital India event in California, where PM Modi spoke about Digital India and highlighted that it comprised a range of initiatives. He highlighted his government’s achievements, including expanding digital access and services across the country. He emphasized the importance of bridging the digital divide, increasing access and ensuring affordability. The vision of Digital India is to create a more transparent, inclusive and efficient society, using technology to drive progress and improve lives.
PM Modi said the task is huge; the challenges are many. But, we also know that we will not be able to reach new heights without treading new paths. Much of the India we dream of is yet to be built. So, we now have the opportunity to shape its path. And, we have the talent, enterprise and skills to succeed. Inviting the United States to strengthen its partnership with India and building an advanced future through technology and innovation, he said, “We also have the strength of the partnership between India and the United States.”
The compilation of video clips shared by Supriya was taken out of context and misrepresented the actual content of his speeches. In reality, PM Modi’s addresses were aimed at highlighting India’s progress and development, emphasizing the opportunities for transformation and growth of the country.
| Claim | PM Modi’s speeches during his foreign tours depict India in a negative light |
| Claimed by | Supriya Shrinate, Rofl Gandhi, and Dhruv Rathee parody |
| Fact Check | PM Modi’s Global Speeches was shared out-of-context |
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