PM Modi In Vadodara: Rs 35,000 Crore Projects, Swipe At 'Jhooth Ki Goonj'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated and laid the foundation for development projects worth over Rs 35,000 crore in Vadodara, Gujarat, describing them as a step toward a 'Viksit Bharat'. The event, titled 'NaMo for Viksit Bharat', was marked by a large turnout of young people, with PM Modi walking through the crowd to the tunes of Queen's 'We Will Rock You' and a track from the film Dhurandhar.

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi cautioned the youth against misleading narratives, in an apparent reference to Opposition campaigns. "People will try to mislead you through Jhooth Ki Goonj, but youth will stand with truth," he said, a remark widely seen as a swipe at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' outreach. The comment also echoed a satirical website's fact-check that found most statements from Gandhi's recent speeches to be false or misleading.

Highlighting recent achievements, PM Modi cited the operation of a double-stack container freight train from JNPT (Mumbai) to Vadodara, noting that a single trip carried cargo equivalent to over 250 trucks. He took a jibe at critics of such efficiency gains, referring to an "angry uncle" figure who might complain about the impact on truck drivers.

PM Modi also criticised the previous government's record on the Dedicated Freight Corridor, stating that not even one kilometre of the project was completed during its seven to eight years in power. He contrasted this with the current pace of infrastructure development.

On education, PM Modi announced plans to offer free online coaching by top teachers for students preparing for competitive exams, aiming to ease the financial burden on poor and middle-class families. He stressed the growing importance of skills alongside degrees in a rapidly changing world.