World Bank delivers a reality check to Modi’s critics; Opposition’s decades of failure exposed: Bali Bhagat
World Bank delivers a reality check to Modi’s critics; Opposition’s decades of failure exposed: Bali Bhagat
Poverty down from 27.1% to 2.6%! Modi’s development model gets global recognition: Bali Bhagat
Jammu, November 3, 2026: Senior BJP leader and former Minister Bali Bhagat launched a blistering attack on the Opposition specially Rahul-led Congress over its repeated attempts to discredit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance, saying that the latest World Bank poverty report has put India’s development journey into perspective and challenged the narrative repeatedly pushed by political critics.
Reacting to the World Bank’s October 2026 Poverty and Equity Brief, Bhagat said that the estimated 496 million people who moved above the lower-middle-income poverty threshold between 2011 and 2023 represent a significant milestone in India’s socio-economic transformation. He pointed out that extreme poverty has fallen from 27.1 per cent to 2.6 per cent, while poverty at the lower-middle-income threshold of USD 4.20 per day has declined from 57.7 per cent to 16.1 per cent.
“The Opposition spent years underestimating Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ridiculing his vision and predicting that his development promises would never translate into reality. Today, the World Bank’s figures have delivered a powerful reality check. Nearly 496 million people moving above the lower-middle-income poverty threshold is not a political slogan or a BJP advertisement. It is a development indicator that deserves serious recognition. Those who constantly questioned Modi’s leadership must now answer why they refuse to acknowledge India’s progress,” Bhagat said.
He accused Opposition parties of remaining obsessed with political attacks while overlooking the impact of welfare delivery, economic reforms and development initiatives. He said that while previous governments made poverty eradication a recurring political promise, the Modi Government has focused on implementation, last-mile delivery and expanding access to essential services.
Taking a direct swipe at the Opposition, Bhagat said, “For decades, poverty was used as an election slogan. Generations were promised a better future, but millions continued to struggle for basic necessities. Prime Minister Modi changed the focus from promises to delivery. The Opposition cannot digest the fact that India’s development story is now being discussed and recognised internationally. Their political narrative cannot erase measurable progress.”
Bhagat highlighted the importance of food security, financial inclusion, direct benefit transfers, rural development, infrastructure expansion and women’s economic participation in improving household welfare. He said the World Bank itself identified strong consumption growth, rising employment, particularly among women, and expanded social transfers, including food subsidies, as important drivers of poverty reduction.
He further said that the decline in poverty demonstrates why governance must be judged through outcomes and not merely through political speeches or manufactured controversies.
“The real question is not why Modi Government is getting recognition, but why the Opposition is so uncomfortable with India’s achievements. If millions of families are experiencing improved economic opportunities, if women are increasingly participating in employment and if poverty is declining at such a significant pace, these developments deserve acknowledgement across political lines. National progress should never become a casualty of partisan politics,” he remarked.
However, Bhagat maintained that the government must continue working towards better-quality employment, higher incomes, skill development and greater opportunities for young people, particularly in regions where poverty remains concentrated.
Concluding, he said that Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a developed India is rooted in empowering ordinary citizens rather than perpetuating dependency.
“History will remember those who worked to change the lives of ordinary Indians, not those who spent their political careers questioning every initiative. The Opposition may continue its criticism, but it cannot wish away the figures. India’s journey is far from over, but the direction of change is clear. The biggest answer to Modi’s critics is the changing reality of millions of Indian families,” Bali Bhagat asserted.
