How Canada, Russia, EU figure in UPBJP's campaign on 11 years of Modi govt

Time of India

3 days ago

Lucknow: If medical treatment of over nine crore people under Ayushman scheme was more than twice the population of Canada, the construction of 12 crore toilets under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan surpassed the total population of Canada and Italy taken together.
Likewise, the laying of more than 42 lakh km of optical fibre in the country was almost 11 times the distance between earth and moon.
That's how the UP BJP has portrayed the scale of welfare measures and developmental initiatives rolled out during the 11 years of Narendra Modi government. The depictions came through social media posts even as the saffron outfit geared up to celebrate 11 years of PM Narendra Modi in office.
The comparisons were seen as BJP's bid to simplify the figure and create relatability for people by comparing with a known, developed nation. This is especially true in case of construction of toilets under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan which underlined the massive scale of sanitation efforts, crucial for rural health and dignity—especially for women.
Similarly, the metaphor vis-à-vis optical fibre, a senior BJP leader said, was meant to emphasize the depth of digital connectivity achieved even in remote areas, tying into the broader 'Digital India' vision.
This is not all. The number of loans disbursed under Mudra scheme – 52.5 crore – is shown as more than the total population of US, Russia and Australia taken together. "Naya Bharat! Abhutpurva Scale! (New India! Unprecedented scale)" the party mentioned in one of the posts.
Analysts said that by comparing Mudra loan beneficiaries to entire nations' populations, the BJP sought to underscore how deeply and widely its economic policies managed to penetrate. It tends to give a sense that almost every third Indian has been touched by the scheme—a powerful narrative to the informal sector, small traders, and aspiring entrepreneurs.