BJP's Pradeep Bhandari lauds 10 years of Digital India, accuses INDIA bloc of corruption, nepotism

New Delhi [India], July 1 (ANI): As the Digital India Mission completed 10 years on Tuesday, BJP leader Pradeep Bhandari drew contrast between the BJP and the opposition bloc and said that while the INDI Alliance is associated with "corruption and nepotism," the Modi government is associated with the model of development.
The BJP leader praised the central government for the success of Digital India and stated that the country now accounts for 50 per cent of global financial transactions, a testament to Prime Minister Modi's development model.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Pradeep Bhandari said, "Today (July 1, 2025), Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's 'Digital India Mission' completes 10 years. As Digital India marks a decade of success, India now accounts for 50 per cent of global financial transactions. It's a victory of PM Modi's model of development. Look at the two parallels. While the INDI Alliance is synonymous with corruption and nepotism (pariwarvad and vinashwad), the Modi government is synonymous with development (vikas)."
Taking a swipe at the Congress, Bhandari said, "Remember when the Congress claimed the internet could never reach rural India? Today, even Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted about this."
He further highlighted the digital expansion under the BJP government, stating that internet connectivity has reached 95 per cent of India's villages.
"The Internet has reached 95 per cent of villages in the country. Under the Congress rule, only 27 crore internet connections existed. Today, India has 97 crore connections. This is the truth and the success of Digital India," he said.
Bhandari also hit out at Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, claiming he has "no clue" about the situation in Karnataka.
"Today, Kharge ji himself doesnt know what will happen in Karnataka because Nehru, Gandhi, Vadra family's model is corruption and only corruption," said Bhandari.
Continuing his tirade against the Congress party, Pradeep Bhandari said, "The people of the country have two models before them -- on one side is the model of the corrupt, dynastic, appeasement-driven opposition. In Himachal Pradesh, a government employee is beaten by Rahul Gandhi's close aide, while in Karnataka, they engage in corruption in schemes and remain busy fighting for power, because corruption is in their DNA."
"Just think, what did former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi used to say? He used to say that the government sends one rupee, and only 15 paise reaches the public. Today, the same is happening in Congress-ruled states," he added.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a blog titled "A Decade of Digital India" on his official LinkedIn handle, celebrating 10 years of the Digital India mission.
He described how India has transformed from limited internet access and digital services in 2014 to becoming a global leader in digital technology in 2024.
PM Modi said that earlier, people doubted if Indians could use technology well. But the government trusted the people and used technology to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.
Today, digital tools have become part of everyday life for 140 crore Indians -- from learning and business to accessing government services.
In 2014, India had about 25 crore internet connections. Now, it has over 97 crore. High-speed internet has even reached remote areas like Galwan and Siachen. The country's 5G rollout is one of the fastest in the world, with nearly 5 lakh base stations set up in just two years.
PM Modi highlighted platforms like UPI, which now handles over 100 billion transactions yearly. Through Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), Rs 44 lakh crore has been sent directly to people, saving nearly Rs 3.5 lakh crore by cutting out middlemen.
He shared how platforms like ONDC and GeM are helping small businesses grow by connecting them with big markets. ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, and GeM has reached over ₹1 lakh crore in sales in just 50 days. The SVAMITVA scheme has given more than 2.4 crore property cards and mapped over 6 lakh villages.
India's digital tools, including Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and FASTag, are now being utilised and studied by other countries. CoWIN helped in managing the world's largest vaccination drive, issuing 220 crore certificates.
India is now among the top 3 startup ecosystems in the world, with over 1.8 lakh startups. The country is also growing fast in artificial intelligence (AI). Through the India AI Mission, India is offering access to powerful AI tools at very low cost, making it a global hub for digital innovation.
PM Modi said that the next 10 years will be even more transformative. India is moving from using digital tools to leading the world with them. He called on innovators and entrepreneurs to build technology that helps and unites people, and to make India a trusted global partner in the digital world. (ANI)