Sanjay Seth Hails World Bank Report on 50 Crore Lifted from Poverty

Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth has used a World Bank report to defend the government's record on poverty reduction, while simultaneously attacking the India alliance over its Sunday rally in Delhi. Speaking in Ranchi, Seth said the rally had failed to match its billing and that the political message from the event was clear.

Seth said the alliance had boasted of gathering 10 lakh people at Ramlila Maidan, but the ground told a different story. He said only a few thousand people were present and that empty chairs were visible throughout the venue. He added that television coverage had shown half of the ground was vacant, which he argued was a verdict from the public.

He said the people had rejected leaders and groups who work against the country's development and who seek to create chaos through mob politics. Seth alleged that these forces were interested only in keeping certain family names in the headlines, an agenda he said the public would no longer accept.

The minister stated that the entire nation was standing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his development agenda. He insisted that 140 crore citizens supported the Prime Minister and that voters were backing those who deliver results for the nation.

Central to his remarks was the World Bank report, which Seth said acknowledged that 50 crore people had been brought out of poverty and into the middle class. He stressed that this was an independent assessment and not a statement from a government spokesperson.

Seth then targeted the Congress party, saying it had promised to remove poverty through its 'Garibi Hatao' slogan but had not achieved that goal after nearly 50 years in power. He argued that the party's approach had been limited to imports, while Prime Minister Modi had shown how to lift tens of millions out of poverty.

He noted that the World Bank had also recorded the creation of roughly 13.5 crore jobs, including employment opportunities for women. Seth explained the reasons behind the reduction in poverty by listing free ration distribution under the Garib Kalyan Yojana, Ayushman Bharat's free treatment of up to 5 lakh rupees, the Jan Dhan Yojana and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.

Addressing opposition criticism of the Prime Minister, Seth said that the political record of the last 25 to 26 years should be considered. He warned that anyone who had taken even a paisa in corruption would face scrutiny from Prime Minister Modi.

Seth also commented on Rahul Gandhi, claiming that public opinion of him is negative and that people do not take him seriously. He described him as a person who speaks falsehoods and opposes India, and said he could not understand why the public did not give him weight.

The minister said the public backs development and those who produce results. He pointed to Ayushman cards that were providing free treatment of up to 5 lakh rupees in villages, electricity reaching lakhs of villages that had been without it for 50 to 60 years, and roads connecting communities. He said free ration was reaching 82 crore people and 55 crore Jan Dhan accounts had been opened.

Seth concluded by describing the opposition as frustrated and out of touch, saying their ambitions were unrealistic. He expressed confidence that Prime Minister Modi would return to power in 2029 with a two-thirds majority.