‘Despite economic self-interests, India grew 7.8% in Q1’
New Delhi, Sept 02: In his first reaction to the alleged abuses hurled at his mother during the ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he was “deeply pained” by the incident, but asserted that while he might forgive the RJD and the Congress, the people of the state will never “pardon them”.
Taking a dig at the opposition parties over the recent incident in Darbhanga, he said using expletives against his mother was not a big deal for those who insult ‘Mother India’.
“My late mother had nothing to do with politics, so what was her fault; why was she abused?” he said, with his voice choking with emotion.
“I may forgive them for once, but the people of this country have never brooked any insult to one’s mother… It is now the duty of every son of Bihar to hold the RJD-Congress combine accountable for their conduct. In every town and street, wherever their leaders go, they must get the message loud and clear that insult to mothers and sisters will not be tolerated,” the PM said.
“Mothers and sisters must also come out on the streets to demand an explanation from the RJD-Congress combine for the reprehensible occurrence and tell them that this would not be tolerated. This attitude of holding women in contempt must be reined in,” he added.
The PM was addressing the virtual launch of ‘Bihar Rajya Jeevika Nidhi Sahkari Sangh Limited’, a cooperative initiative that aims to provide easy access to funds at affordable interest rates to women’s self-help groups.
“Bihar is the land of Maa Janki… it has always given respect to women. I had never imagined such a thing would happen…My mother was abused from the dais of the RJD-Congress combine. It was not an insult to my mother but an insult to the mothers and daughters of Bihar… people of the state will never forgive them,” Modi said.
Noting that the incident was painful for him as a son, he said the huge presence of women at the event gave him the strength to “bear the pain and the insult”.
The PM highlighted the role played by women voters of the state in ousting the RJD from power, alleging that “mothers and sisters were the worst sufferers of the lawlessness that prevailed when they were in power”.
“The government then protected murderers and rapists… mothers and sisters used to live in terror until their menfolk returned home unharmed,” he said.
“Since mothers and sisters have played a major role in defeating the RJD-led alliance again and again, it is now hell bent upon taking revenge on the women of the state,” said Modi, who also claimed that the Darbhanga incident was reflective of the ‘misogyny’ of the opposition coalition.
The PM, who uttered a Bhojpuri proverb that asserted the belief that one’s mother was superior to gods and goddesses, also referred to the upcoming festivals of Navratri and Chhath.
“The Congress-RJD must be asked to apologise to saat-bahini and Chhathi Maiya,” said Modi, referring to the belief that Goddess Durga had seven sisters and the practice of worshipping the Sun God in a feminine form.
Last week, a purported video of a person screaming an expletive into a microphone at a small podium erected on the outskirts of Darbhanga by a local Congress leader went viral, even as the organiser claimed that no party functionary of consequence was present at the time of the incident.
The accused, a 25-year-old resident of Darbhanga, has been arrested, but tempers continue to be frayed with the BJP hitting the streets on the issue and its workers exchanging fisticuffs with Congress leaders at the opposition party’s state headquarters.
BJP leaders have also been insisting on an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who had led the recently concluded ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’, and RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, but both maintained they have nothing to do with the incident since the abuse was hurled in their absence by a person not known to them.
Using the expression ‘naamdar’ (people with big names) to underscore the alleged elitist disposition of leaders such as Gandhi and Yadav, Modi said, “They have been uncomfortable ever since this son of a poor mother rose to power. They resent the rise of women and the backward classes alike. A reason why they spare no opportunity to belittle Droupadi Murmu, the country’s first woman President.”
Meanwhile, Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal was moved to tears when Modi voiced anguish over the Darbhanga incident.
Jaiswal watched the function, addressed by the PM through video conference, at the party’s state headquarters here. He was seen wiping his eyes when Modi spoke about the incident.
“The incident has brought disrepute to Bihar. We cannot insult the mother of anyone, least of all the prime minister,” Jaiswal, a former state minister, told PTI.
“The PM’s mother died some time back. She was not into politics. She never even visited his official residence. Thinking of all these things, I was moved to tears,” he said.
Meanwhile, state minister Shravan Kumar, who belongs to JD(U), said, “The insult to the PM’s mother is a deplorable incident. Such behaviour will never be accepted by the people of Bihar.”
In Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, members of the BJP’s women’s wing on Tuesday staged a protest against the alleged derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother.
Carrying placards that read “Maa ka apman nahin sahega Hindustan (India will not tolerate mother’s disrespect)”, the members of the ‘Mahila Morcha’ raised slogans against the Congress, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
“Why are they targeting the PM’s mother? They can say anything to oppose us, but this insult will not be tolerated,” a BJP member told reporters at the protest site near Lal Chowk in the city centre here.
The protestors demanded an apology from Gandhi.
“The country will not tolerate such disgraceful remarks. Rahul Gandhi should apologise for the remarks,” she said.
Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully. The BJP has been protesting after a purported video showed a person using a Hindi expletive against Modi from a dais during Gandhi’s yatra in Darbhanga town on August 27.
Meanwhile, in a veiled rebuttal to the ‘dead economy’ jibe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Indian economy grew 7.8 per cent in the first quarter, surpassing all expectations despite global uncertainties and challenges driven by economic self-interest.
Speaking at the Semicon India 2025 conference here, he said GDP growth in April-June was better than ‘every expectation, hope and estimate’.
Indian economic performance came amidst global uncertainties and “aarthik swarth se paida hue chunautiya hai” (challenges stemming from economic self-interest), he said.
“Once again, India has outperformed every expectation, every estimate, and every forecast,” Modi said.
While economies around the world are facing concerns and challenges driven by economic self-interest, India has achieved a growth rate of 7.8 per cent.
Modi emphasized that this growth is visible across all sectors — manufacturing, services, agriculture, and construction — with enthusiasm evident everywhere, and added that India’s rapid growth is infusing new energy across industries and among every citizen.
He affirmed that this trajectory of growth is propelling India swiftly towards becoming the third largest economy in the world.
The Prime Minister did not elaborate on the challenges but his statement came days after US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods over the country’s purchases of Russian oil. This increased total tariffs to 50 per cent — the highest in the world.
In the run up to the imposition of the tariff, Trump had dismissed India’s economy as “dead”.
India in the first quarter as well as the 2024-25 (April 2024 to March 2025 fiscal) and years proceedings it, has remained the world’s fastest growing major economy, outshining China by yards. The US economy grew at 3.3 per cent in April-June.
US officials have in recent days used unduly harsh words to criticise India over continued purchase of Russian oil.
Modi said his government will unleash a new phase of next generation reforms soon.
“In the coming times, we are going to begin a new phase of next-generation reforms,” he said.
While he did not spell out the reforms planned, Modi may have hinted on the planned biggest reform of the goods and services tax (GST), with tax cuts on a wide range of common use products — from shampoos and hybrid cars to consumer electronics.
The GST Council, the all-powerful decision making body, is meeting in New Delhi for two-days beginning September 3 to discuss the proposed pruning of rates.
Since January, Trump has launched a broad global tariff programme, slapping higher rates on imports from countries with which his administration had political grievances. Besides India, only Brazil has been slapped with a 50 per cent tariff.
Trump argues that the tariffs boost American manufacturing and protect jobs, but his trade policies have led to economic chaos worldwide.
Earlier, Modi said 10 semiconductor projects worth over USD 18 billion are underway and the country is advancing towards the next phase of the India Semiconductor Mission and revamping the design-linked incentive scheme to tap the USD 1 trillion global chip market.
“The day is not far when the smallest chip made in India will drive the biggest change in the world,” he said. “The day is not far when the world will say — Designed in India, Made in India, Trusted by the World.”
Noting the presence of semiconductor sector experts from across the globe, with representation from around 50 countries, Modi emphasized that India’s innovation and youth power are also visibly present at the event.
This unique combination, he said, sends a clear message — “The world trusts India, the world believes in India, and the world is ready to build the semiconductor future with India”.
Stating that in the world of semiconductors, it is often said, ‘Oil was black gold, but chips are digital diamonds’, the Prime Minister said that while oil shaped the previous century, the power of the 21st century is now concentrated in the small chip.
Although small in size, these chips have the potential to significantly accelerate global progress.
Modi said the global semiconductor market has already reached USD 600 billion and is expected to surpass USD 1 trillion in the coming years.
“Given the pace at which India is advancing in the semiconductor sector, India will hold a significant share in this USD 1 trillion market,” he said.
Addressing investors, he expressed India’s readiness to welcome them with an open heart and said, “Design is ready. Mask is aligned. Now is the time for precision execution and delivery at scale”.
India’s policies are not short-term signals but long-term commitments, he said, assuring that every investor’s needs will be met.
He went on to highlight the launch of the Semicon India programme in 2021 and said by 2023, the country’s first semiconductor plant had been approved in 2024, several more plants received approval, and in 2025, five additional projects were cleared.
“In total, 10 semiconductor projects are now underway, involving an investment of over USD 18 billion – more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore… This reflects the growing global trust in India.”
Emphasising that in the semiconductor sector, speed matters, he said, “the shorter the time from file-to-factory, and the lesser the paperwork, the sooner wafer work can begin”.
The government, he said, is working with this very approach.
The National Single-Window System has been implemented, enabling all approvals from both the Central and State governments to be accessed on a single platform. Semiconductor parks are being developed across the country under a plug-and-play infrastructure model, which offers facilities such as land, power supply, port and airport connectivity, and access to a skilled worker pool.
When such infrastructure is combined with incentives, industrial growth is inevitable, he said, adding that through PLI incentives or design-linked grants, India is offering end-to-end capabilities.
This is why investment continues to flow in, he said. “India is moving beyond backend operations and progressing towards becoming a full-stack semiconductor nation, and the day is not far when India’s smallest chip will drive the world’s biggest change”.
“India has reached this stage by following the mantra of reform, perform, and transform. A new phase of next-generation reforms will soon be initiated,” he said.
Work is underway on the next phase of the India Semiconductor Mission, he said, without elaborating.
He also announced that “the Design-Linked Incentive Scheme is being restructured to better serve its objectives.”
Modi said India’s journey began late, but nothing can stop it now.
The Prime Minister said CG Power’s pilot plant for semiconductors commenced operations on August 28, and a pilot of Kaynes Technology is also about to begin.
Test chips from Micron Technology and Tata Electronics are already in production. “Commercial chip production will begin this year,” he reiterated.
Emphasizing that India’s semiconductor success story is not confined to a single vertical or a single technology, Modi stated that India is building a comprehensive ecosystem — one that encompasses designing, manufacturing, packaging, and high-tech devices, all within the country.
He clarified that the Semiconductor Mission is not limited to establishing a single fab or producing a single chip. Instead, India is creating a robust semiconductor ecosystem that will make the nation self-reliant and globally competitive.
Underlining another key feature of India’s semiconductor mission, he said that the country is advancing in this sector alongside the world’s most advanced technologies. India’s focus is to empower emerging technologies through chips manufactured domestically.
Modi noted that design centers being developed in Noida on the outskirts of the national capital and Bengaluru are working on some of the world’s most advanced chips — capable of storing billions of transistors. These chips will power the immersive technologies of the 21st century.
Addressing the challenges faced by the global semiconductor sector, he said India is actively working to overcome them.
While steel is the foundation of towering buildings and impressive physical infrastructure visible in cities, the foundation of India’s digital infrastructure is built on critical minerals. “India is currently working on the National Critical Minerals Mission and is committed to meeting its demand for rare minerals domestically,” he said.
Over the past four years, significant progress has been made on critical minerals projects, he said, adding the government is committed to developing Indian intellectual property in the sector.
