Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Tuesday that “tough reforms” are difficult in India because “we are too much of a democracy”, but added that for the first time the government had shown the will to bring hard-headed reforms across sectors. One part of his quote — “too much of a democracy” — inspired a meme-fest and sharp reactions on social media.
The government today confronted questions on Amitabh Kant’s comment. “We are proud of our democracy,” Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, closing the subject.
The top plan panel officer made the comments at an online event, ‘The Road to Atmanirbhar Bharat’, organised by Swarajya magazine yesterday.
NCP leader Supriya Sule on Wednesday hit out at the Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant for his ‘too much democracy’ remarks, calling it appalling. Citing a now-deleted tweet by an English daily regarding the same, she wrote on Twitter that such a statement by a senior government official was condemnable.
“An incredibly irresponsible statement in the worlds largest democracy – which we are so proud of. Long live democracy,” Sule said in a tweet.
Amitabh Kant’s comments during a recent virtual event has now become a full blown controversy, as political leaders and ordinary netizens lambast the official over a comment that he denies making. Others have since countered him by sharing video clips of the virtual interaction to make their point.
