Rijiju quotes PM Modi on 25 crore lifted from poverty
Synopsis
On Independence Day 2026, Minister Kiren Rijiju amplified PM Modi's claim that 25 crore Indians have escaped poverty in 12 years, citing citizen resolve and the government's welfare architecture as twin drivers of the achievement.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju shared PM Narendra Modi 's Independence Day statement on 15 August 2026 .
Modi credited 12 years of citizen resolve for taking India to 'new heights.' The statement claims 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty — an official assertion tied to NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index findings.
Early welfare pillars cited include Jan Dhan accounts, Ujjwala LPG connections, and direct benefit transfers introduced after 2014 .
The next NITI Aayog MPI release will be the key data checkpoint for this claim.
On Independence Day, 15 August 2026, Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju shared a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi crediting the collective resolve of India's citizens over the past 12 years for lifting 25 crore people out of poverty — a claim that has become a centrepiece of the BJP government's governance narrative.
What PM Modi said — and what it signals
Rijiju quoted Modi directly: 'पिछले 12 वर्षों में देश के कोटि-कोटि नागरिकों ने एक संकल्प के साथ... देश को नई ऊँचाइयों पर ले जाने के लिए हर प्रकार से प्रयास किये हैं' — 'In the last 12 years, crores of citizens of this country have, with one resolve and dedication, made every effort to take the nation to new heights. I respectfully acknowledge those efforts. The result is that in such a short time, 25 crore countrymen have defeated poverty and emerged from it.' The framing is deliberate: not government largesse, but citizen agency — with the state as enabler.
Twelve years of welfare architecture behind the number
The Modi government, in office since May 2014, built its early welfare push on programmes like Jan Dhan financial inclusion accounts, Ujjwala LPG connections for rural households, and direct benefit transfers that bypassed intermediaries. Senior BJP leaders have repeatedly cited NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index findings to anchor the poverty-reduction claim — a metric that tracks deprivation across health, education, and living standards, not income alone. The index has shown consistent improvement across successive survey rounds, giving the government a credible statistical scaffold for the '25 crore' figure, though the precise number as stated in the post remains an official assertion.
Independence Day as the chosen stage
The timing is no accident. August 15 is the single most-watched moment in India's political calendar — the Prime Minister's address from the Red Fort sets the national conversation for weeks. Sharing Modi's words on this day amplifies reach and frames the BJP's 12-year record as a story of national achievement rather than partisan politics. For Rijiju, a senior leader from Arunachal Pradesh holding two cabinet portfolios, the post also reinforces alignment with the party's central messaging at a moment of peak public attention.
The next hard data point to watch: the forthcoming NITI Aayog Multidimensional Poverty Index release, which will either substantiate or complicate the headline figure — and will almost certainly shape the next round of this debate.
Point of View
And deploying it on Independence Day maximises symbolic resonance. By framing the achievement as citizen-driven rather than state-directed, Modi's messaging sidesteps the optics of top-down welfarism — a politically shrewd distinction. The reliance on multidimensional rather than income-based poverty measures gives the number methodological defensibility, but also invites scrutiny each time a new index round is released. For the opposition, the data gap between official claims and ground-level economic distress remains the sharpest line of attack.
NationPress
15 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did PM Modi say on Independence Day 2026 about poverty?
PM Modi stated that in the past 12 years, the collective resolve of crores of Indian citizens has helped lift 25 crore people out of poverty, crediting both citizen effort and the government's welfare programmes.
Why did Kiren Rijiju post PM Modi's Independence Day quote?
As a senior BJP cabinet minister, Rijiju shared Modi's statement to amplify the government's Independence Day messaging on poverty reduction and inclusive development.
How does India measure poverty reduction — what is the Multidimensional Poverty Index?
The NITI Aayog Multidimensional Poverty Index tracks deprivation across health, education, and living standards — not just income — giving a broader picture of poverty than traditional income-based measures.
Which welfare schemes does the Modi government credit for poverty reduction?
Key schemes include Jan Dhan financial inclusion accounts, Ujjwala LPG connections for rural households, and direct benefit transfers that channel subsidies without intermediaries.
What should we watch next on India's poverty data?
The next NITI Aayog Multidimensional Poverty Index release will be the critical data point — it will either validate or complicate the government's claim of 25 crore people exiting poverty.
