Let me begin by confessing that I did not think it was an ‘achievement’ for Narendra Modi to have become the longest serving prime minister in Indian history. And I found something puerile about the BJP ‘bhakti’ brigade on social media and in real life making comparisons with how long Jawaharlal Nehru served and the way they debated which year Nehru’s term should be counted from. Why is this relevant? Is it just me or have you also noticed that BJP trolls and Modi’s most ardent fans seem to have an inferiority complex when it comes to Nehru?

There is no reason for it. Modi’s achievements as Prime Minister have been extraordinary. Not to mention that, as your columnist has mentioned before, he succeeded in throwing into the garbage bin of history the entire English-speaking ruling class that worshipped Nehru. So why go on and on and on about a prime minister who has been dead for more than sixty years? Let him finally rest in peace.

Now let us return to talking about a prime minister who is still alive. Perhaps the most significant of Modi’s achievements is that since he became prime minister, his policies have lifted 250 million people out of poverty. In Nehru’s case, the sad truth is that there were as many poor Indian people when he became prime minister as when his........

© Indian Express