India before Modi had image of 'corrupt state', authority of PM was 'eroded', says JP Nadda

India and Pakistan before Modi were hyphenated, and India was plagued with terrorism and instability, with the Prime Minister's office being undermined, said the BJP President JP Nadda as he spoke at the launch of a book – Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux – co-authored by Vijai Chaithaiwale, chief of the party’s department of foreign affairs.

“The economy was declining, India had an image of a corrupt state, there were several terrorist attacks and no stable government. What was worrying was that the authority of the PM was eroded,” Nadda said at the launch.

Nadda also added that due to vote bank politics, India was scared to visit Israel. He added that Modi has till now visited 60 countries, and bilateral relations with more than 100 countries are going strong.

“With our own neighbours – such as Nepal, Sri Lanka – India did not have friendly relations before 2014,” Nadda said.

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During the launch, which took place at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan at Chanakyapuri, the BJP President said that India is no longer shy to take positions.

“Unlike in the past, India is no longer shying from taking hard positions. Under PM Modi, on international issues, India can take a stand on complex issues. A classic example is the Russia-Ukraine war,” Nadda said. “Today, India has the stature to maintain relations with both Israel and Palestine. We are globally regarded, and our opinion matters in any global situation.”

Globally, India is able to negotiate as per our interests, he said. “The world has appreciated our tough stand, especially when we carried out surgical strikes against our adversaries,” he said.

The book is authored by Sujan Chinoy and Uttam Kumar Sinha, besides Chauthaiwale, with a foreword by Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.