“At that time, many quarters had gone like that which was very disappointing from the economy point of view. I do not want to get into the debate as to why some people were silent then,” he added. India’s GDP fell over six-year low in July-September quarter of the current fiscal to 4.5 per cent, drawing flak from the opposition parties. Most high-frequency indicators such as core sector data, manufacturing growth and electricity generation have been discouraging.

Listing out achievements of his government over the past five years, Modi said a strong foundation has been laid and structural changes were made to ensure India becomes a $5 trillion economy. He said that his government did not only stop the economy from heading to disaster but also put it on the right track.

Further, several steps have been taken to make the banking system strong, robust and transparent. As a result, 13 banks have turned profitable after bleeding heavily due to bad loans. The Prime Minister said that government would spend Rs 100 lakh crore in building infrastructure while Rs 25 lakh crore to give fillip to the rural economy. For “Har Jal Ghar”, the government would spend Rs 3.5 lakh crore. Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, two crore new houses would be built.