BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has taken to Twitter to grade the Narendra Modi-led NDA government across three different categories.
The categories chosen are national security, fighting corruption and macro-economic development.
The former president of the Janata Party has given the Modi government an 'A' grade with reference to national security. The BJP has been adamant on the importance of national security ever since they came to power in 2014 with a defeat of the Congress by a whopping margin. The last five years have witnessed several terrorist attacks. The 2016 Pathankot attack and the recent Pulwama attack are instances of militant infringement that has threatened the national security of the country. In retaliation for the Pulwama attack, the Indian Air Force destroyed terrorist camps in the Balakot region of Pakistan. The Pakistan government, however, denies the presence of militant camps within its borders.
Swamy has given the government's fight against corruption a 'B+' grade. Narendra Modi in the 2014 campaign told citizens that he would punish the corrupt and curb black money. The government has repeatedly stressed the importance of fighting corruption over the years. 'Demonetisation' was called a nationwide strategy to curb black money and fight corruption. While the degree of success with demonetisation is subject to interpretation, the intent to fight corruption has been evident over the last five years.
The third category that Swamy grades is macro-economic development. He gave it a 'C' grade. Data from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in August 2018 revealed that the GDP growth rate under the present government averages 7.3% in the first four years. The number is significantly lower than the UPA government's average of 8.1%. With regard to large macroeconomic investments also, the BJP government's performance has been sub-par.
“It (Make in India) started off with a lot of fanfare but has not managed to take things off the ground. We don’t seem to have a comprehensible plan for local production of goods or services,” said Abheek Barua, Chief Economist of HDFC Bank while discussing 'Make In India'.
Swamy hasn't been swayed by the BJPs rhetoric of 'Vikas' and has attempted to provide a balanced grade on the country's macroeconomic development. Swamy appears to have made a effort to deliver an assessment with minimal political bias.