"From Red Fort, Indians were called lazy...": PM Modi targets Congress

New Delhi: Launching attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that there was a time in the country when Indians were labelled as "lazy" and "those running away from the hardwork" from the Red Fort.

Notably Prime Minister in the recently concluded Budget session had said that former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru considered Indians 'lazy' and 'less intelligent'.

Addressing the News 9 Global Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said," Those who ruled the country earlier never kept faith in the country's potential. They underestimated the Indians. From the Red Fort, Indians were called sadists and those easily accept the sense of defeat. From the Red Fort, Indians were called lazy. It was said that Indians run away from doing hardwork."

"When the leadership of the country is filled with so much pessimism, then how will the optimisim spread in the country," he added.

Earlier, in an attack on the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his reply to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President's address had said that former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru considered Indians 'lazy' and 'less intelligent'.

Targeting the opposition, particularly the Congress party, the Prime Minister said that the country has suffered through the 'mindset' of the grand old party, which has never trusted the capabilities of the countrymen.

"The country has suffered through the mindset of the Congress party, which has never trusted the capability of the countrymen. It considered itself rulers and the public as lesser and inferior," PM Modi said.

Reading out a statement in Lok Sabha by former Prime Minister Nehru, PM Narendra Modi said, "Nehruji thought that Indians were lazy and less intelligent."

Also, Prime Minister Modi said that it is the work of the BJP-led Centre in the past 10 years that has made world think that India is ready to take the next big leap.

"There is a powerful launchpad of 10 years which has made the world think that our country is ready to take the next big leap. This happened because a change in the mindset that has happened," he said.