"Under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's leadership, country witnessed remarkable turnaround": Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 25 (ANI): On the occasion of Good Governance Day on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Union Minister Piyush Goyal praised Vajpayee's leadership. He stated, "When Atal Ji assumed the role of Prime Minister, the nation was grappling with a weak economy. However, under his leadership, the country witnessed a remarkable turnaround."
From the Pokhran nuclear test in 1998, which established India as a global nuclear power, to the victorious Kargil War in 1999, which bolstered national confidence, Vajpayee's tenure was marked by significant achievements, Goyal added.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal made his remarks while addressing the 'Atal Mahakumbh' programme in Mumbai, which was held to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Indian Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna recipient, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
"1998 was a time of uncertainty in India. There were coalition governments, one after another. A lot of corruption surfaced in the Narasimha Rao government. The governments that came after that were short-lived. The economy of India was falling rapidly. The economy was weak when Atal Ji became the PM. But there were big achievements during the six years of his tenure. It was Pokhran's nuclear test that made India known around the world as a nuclear power. Be it 1999, the victory of the Kargil War gave India the self-confidence that we could face any type of attack, Goyal said.
"In 1998, the GDP growth was 4.4%, which was 8.4% by the end of Atal Ji's tenure. This means that he almost doubled the GDP," Piyush Goyal added.
The BJP party organised several events across the country to mark the birth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which is observed as Good Governance Day on Monday.
Several prominent leaders of the BJP, including Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, paid tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the national capital.
"On behalf of all the family members of the country, I pay my deepest respects to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji on his birth anniversary. He remained engaged in accelerating nation-building throughout his life. His dedication and service towards Mother India will remain a source of inspiration even in his immortal age," PM Modi wrote in a post on 'X'. (ANI)