Modi: India Freed From Congress Loot Culture

Addressing the Namo Yuva Samabesh rally in Jharsuguda, the Prime Minister said the BJP government had freed the nation from this “culture of loot” and ushered in an era of “double bachat (saving) and double kamai (income)” through its policies and GST rate rationalisation.

“Earlier, people had to pay tax even on incomes as low as ₹2 lakh. Today, those earning up to ₹12 lakh annually are exempted. Our reforms are ensuring savings for every family,” Modi told the cheering crowd.

Citing the impact of recent GST revisions, he said that on a spending of ₹1 lakh, people earlier paid ₹25,000 in taxes, but now the tax burden has dropped to ₹5,000. “This is a saving of around ₹20,000,” he pointed out.

The GST Council recently reduced the rate structure to two slabs, 5 per cent and 18 per cent, with effect from September 22, cutting prices on several goods and services.

The Prime Minister also accused Congress-ruled states of blocking relief to citizens. He singled out Himachal Pradesh, alleging it imposed its own tax on cement despite GST rate cuts. “While the country is benefiting from the GST Bachat Utsav, the people of Himachal Pradesh are being deprived,” he said.

On farmers, Modi contrasted the present with the Congress era. “Earlier, farmers had to pay ₹70,000 in tax for a tractor. Today, they save nearly ₹40,000. Prices of several agricultural tools have also come down,” he said, adding that Odisha’s farmers would particularly benefit from the reforms.

During the event, Modi handed over acceptance letters to beneficiaries of the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana. “Our government has built over 4 crore pucca houses nationwide. In Odisha alone, 50,000 families will receive houses under the scheme,” he said.

Thanking the people of Odisha for electing a BJP government in the 2024 Assembly elections, Modi said the state was progressing under a “double-engine government”—with the party in power at both the Centre and the state. “Odisha, once trapped in poverty, is now on the path of prosperity,” he claimed, noting that the Centre had sanctioned two semiconductor units and was working on an economic corridor for the state.

Reiterating his vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Prime Minister said, “From chip to ship, India must be self-reliant.” He also hailed the 25 years of BSNL’s service, saying the launch of indigenous 4G had given the telecom operator a “new avatar.”