Congress challenges Centre to present development record on global indices

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Harshwardhan Sapkal. File. | Photo Credit: PTI

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshvardhan Sapkal on Monday (June 9, 2025) called upon the Narendra Modi-led Central government to present a detailed and globally benchmarked account of its development record over the past 11 years.

Speaking at a press conference in Nagpur, Mr. Sapkal criticised the recent publicity campaign launched by the Union government highlighting its achievements and urged that any such account be evaluated through international metrics such as the Human Development Index, the Happiness Index, and the Global Hunger Index, as compiled by institutions like UNICEF, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization.

“The Modi government must answer why it failed to deliver on key promises - including two crore jobs annually, doubling farmers’ income, implementing the Swaminathan Commission report, and developing smart cities,” Mr. Sapkal said.

Alleging that India’s developmental momentum had slowed under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led regime, the Congress leader said, “Under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the country was on a growth trajectory. But in the last 11 years, we have regressed on multiple fronts.”

Responding to questions on the possibility of reunification among factions of the Nationalist Congress Party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Mr. Sapkal said such decisions rested with the respective parties.

“As the Maha Vikas Aghadi, we contested the last two elections together. Similarly, the INDIA bloc stands united against forces undermining democracy and the Constitution. Our alliances will strengthen with those committed to safeguarding these values,” he said.

Mr. Sapkal added that alliance-related decisions for the upcoming municipal elections would be taken at the local level in consultation with other coalition partners.

Published - June 09, 2025 08:40 pm IST