Lok Sabha elections: PM Modi responds to Opposition's attack on his 'foreign trips'

Often in the line of opposition fire over his foreign trips, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said India's might was being acknowledged globally because of his numerous visits abroad.

Opposition parties have been attacking Narendra Modi alleging he was seen more abroad than in the country during his tenure as the prime minister. PTI Photo

KOLKATA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a dig at the opposition for criticising him for his foreign trips, saying India's might has been acknowledged across the globe because of these visits. Opposition parties have been attacking Modi alleging he was seen more abroad than in the country during his tenure as the prime minister. Addressing a poll rally in Birbhum distric of West Bengal, Modi said hardly five years back India found it difficult to get its voice heard, but now the world stands with it. "I read somewhere that Didi (Mamata banerjee) has said this chaiwala was busy making foreign trips all these five years, but today India's might is being acknowledged everywhere because of these visits," he said. Modi said previously India used to struggle to get support from the foreign countries in any issues but today the whole world stands with us during any crisis. He claimed that it was the sign of India's growing strength across the world under his government that the countries which were exporting oil and gas to India at high rates for many years have reduced the price due to the improved bilateral relationship. "Those nations have a 20 year agreement with our country. So my hands were legally tied. But still I befriended them, held talks with them and reduced the gas and oil prices," he said. Modi also said that "as a result of our growing strength and good relationship with foreign countries, the culprits and defrauders, who fled after looting people's money, are being caught and brought back to India while many nations have come to agreement with us that if any Indians keep their money in their banks, they will provide us real-time information about it". "No Indians will be able to hide their black money in any of banks in the world," he said. Accusing many politicians and media persons in the country of using "half of their brains", Modi alleged that there was lot of fuss about Abu Dhabi honouring him with its highest civilian award, the Zayed medal, just before the Lok Sabha polls here but the reports of Saudi Arabia releasing more than 800 Indian prisoners following his request to the country's Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud was suppressed. Taking another swipe at Banerjee, Modi said while people of Bengal are facing problems in celebrating Ram Navami, Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is building its first-ever Hindu temple in spite of being a Muslim majority country. "Didi, if you do not want to learn from me, no problem. But at least try to learn from UAE," he said to massive cheers from the crowd. (With inputs from IANS)