'Mission Aagaman': Skyroot's Vikram-1 reaches orbit successfully, PM Modi congratulates team, says 'you have inspired youth'
'Drop Uniform, Join Politics': Who is Maulana Fazlur Rehman? JUI-F chief challenging Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir
Priyanka Chopra's new Varanasi look unveiled on 44th birthday; SS Rajamouli says 'she is fire'
Inside Delhi Police's three-layer operation: Officers in disguise, strategic meeting that led to Sonam Wangchuk's removal 
'Sochiye kisko diya hai': Annu Kapoor questions Sai Pallavi's role as Sita in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana
FIFA World Cup 2026: Lionel Messi calls Lamine Yamal 'amazing' ahead of final clash
Why is Argentina President Javier Milei staying away from the World Cup final? Know real reason
BCCI finally reacts to Rohit Sharma's retirement buzz: 'Lord's won't be his last match'
West Indies cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers passes away days before 90th birthday
Shubman Gill's ex-teammate arrested in Sri Lanka over match-fixing allegationsPriyanka Chopra's new Varanasi look unveiled on 44th birthday; SS Rajamouli says 'she is fire''Sochiye kisko diya hai': Annu Kapoor questions Sai Pallavi's role as Sita in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana
Lawrence Bishnoi's brother allegedly threatens Aamir Khan over 'love jihad' claims: 'Will not be tolerated'
'Bohot jaldi jaag gaye hain woh': Amit Rai hits back after Paresh Rawal says OMG 2 story was his idea
'Pati ko daru pi ke marna hai': Who is Sakshi Jha? India's Got Latent contestant who got all 0s at Samay Raina's show
Bullet Train Row: MEA Dismisses Allegations Of Bullet Train Delays Made By Former Japanese Minister
PM Modi News: PM Modi Reveals How Indian Diplomacy & Refineries Defeated The Global Oil Shock
NEET Result 2026: Women Outshine Men In NEET UG 2026 Result, Scores Big In Merit List
CJP Protest: Arvind Kejriwal Visits Sonam Wangchuk, Demands Dharmendra Pradhan's Resignation
Bengal News: 'Leave With All Your Belongings' Mamata Banerjee's Brutal Message On Deserters
Gold, silver prices today, July 18, 2026: Check city-wise rates in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and more
Apple overtakes Nvidia to become world's most valuable company: What drove the change?
Can IT-led rally sustain? Experts weigh in as Sensex, Nifty jump; key takeaways for investors
Gold, silver prices today, July 17, 2026: Check city-wise rates in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and more
IBM suffers worst stock crash in 58 years, wipes out $70 billion: What Triggered the sell-off? 
The Odyssey: Christopher Nolan's simplest film, inspiration from Ramayana; five reasons why Matt, Tom, Anne's film shouldn't be missed at all
Toy Story 5, Spider-Man Brand New Day: 4 Hollywood blockbusters in July that urge kids to rush in cinemas with family
In Pics: Alia Bhatt, Bobby Deol, Sonakshi Sinha, Boney Kapoor, Neena Gupta at Akansha Ranjan-Sharan Sharma's reception
Ikka: From Sunny Deol's return as lawyer, to his reunion with Dhurandhar's Akshaye Khanna after 29 years; four reasons to watch courtroom drama
From Sara Arjun in Dhurandhar, Sanskruti Jayana in Krishnavataram, to Triptii Dimri in Maa Behen: 5 breakout performances by feamle leads in 2026'Mission Aagaman': Skyroot's Vikram-1 reaches orbit successfully, PM Modi congratulates team, says 'you have inspired youth'Inside Delhi Police's three-layer operation: Officers in disguise, strategic meeting that led to Sonam Wangchuk's removal 
PM Modi wishes Skyroot success for maiden Vikram-1 launch, calls it 'historic new frontier'
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke starts indefinite hunger strike, Sonam Wangchuk's wife shares update
SC on SIR: Voter roll deletion can't be used to deny PDS, ration and other benefits
NEET UG 2026 Topper: Who is Aryan Gupta? Doctor's son secures AIR 1, inspired by grandmother's cancer battle
NEET-UG 2026 retest results declared by NTA: Here's how to check your scorecard
Who is Vineet Gupta? Meet IIT graduate who helped thousands of Indian students study abroad, then built two of India's top private universities
Australia Hikes Visa Fees Again: How Indian students will be affected?
CBSE Third Language Row: SC tells Centre not to burden Class 9 students with new language
Why can't consumers choose pure petrol or E10? Centre explains why E20 is now the standard fuel
Centre claims E20 fuel does not damage engines, cites data from Maruti Suzuki and Hero MotoCorp
Maruti WagonR Flex Fuel: What’s price of India’s first ethanol car? Specs, mileage, and top features explained
Hyundai Creta 2026 Facelift Explained: What’s new, what’s gone, what it costs
Tata Motors to hike passenger vehicle prices from April 1 amid rising costs: Check revised pricesINDIA
FM challenges Modi's figures on economic growth during NDA rule
){kind=small}
Updated : Nov 21, 2013, 01:44 PM IST
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
A verbal duel broke out between the BJP and the Congress on Monday after finance minister P Chidambaram described BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s claims over economic growth as a “fake encounter of facts”.
The BJP’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad countered the finance minister and defended Modi saying, “Mr Chidambaram, you are being economical with truth. Your statement is a copybook fake encounter with facts.”
Prasad defended Modi’s claim that when the BJP-led NDA came to power in 1998, the growth rate was 4.8 per cent and when it demitted office in 2004, it was 8.4 per cent, while the UPA’s nine years in office has seen the economic growth dip to a low of 5 per cent from the high rate of growth left behind by the NDA.
He said Chidambaram as well as prime minister Manmohan Singh take shelter behind averages when they are confronted with the stark fact of declining growth under the UPA watch. The ‘economist’ prime minister has ruined the economy in contrast to the performance of the Vajpayee government.
Prasad said that during the NDA government, growth in infrastructure was solid and it contrasts with the low performance of the UPA. “Growth in infrastructure is ideology-neutral,” he claimed.
He pointed out that good economy goes with good politics, and good politics in turn is based on good governance. He criticised the UPA, Chidambaram and the ‘economist’ prime minister for the bad governance which brought low economic growth.
“It does not behove the finance minister to employ despicable terms,” Prasad said, expressing his string disapproval of Chidambaram’s language against Modi. “We have laid the foundation for good governance,” he said recalling the NDA’s time in office.
It seems that Congress leaders are going to react to each and every word that Modi utters, and that the BJP will hit back with all the force at its command. Modi is at the centre of the battle between the two major national parties in the run up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
