Amid an attack from the Opposition, the ruling BJP has denied an "Achche Din" comment attributed to its chief Amit Shah at a meeting in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh yesterday. The BJP described as "baseless" reports that Mr Shah said it would take 25 years to realise "Achche Din or the good days." The party president, said the BJP, had said that it would take 25 years to restore India to its "ancient glory." "Shah said the BJP government has curbed corruption and brought down inflation. It is working to end corruption and create many jobs in five years. But the dream of making India 'Vishwa guru (world leader) will take 25 years to realise," BJP secretary and media cell in-charge Shrikant Sharma said. "If the BJP had revealed before the elections that it would take 25 years to deliver achche din, would the people have voted it to power?" asked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in an early morning tweet today. The Congress' Manish Tewari had tweeted even earlier on Tuesday, "From I00 days to 25 yrs for Acche Din and Acche Din means era before British Raj says BJP..." Mr Sharma said there was a "conspiracy to defame the BJP", and added, "our president said it will take 25 years to restore India to its ancient glory and status of world leader again." "Acche Din" was the leitmotif of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vote appeal in the national election that his party swept last year. It promised voters better days and deliverance from corruption and poverty that the BJP alleged 10 years of Congress rule had brought. In the months since, rival parties have often resurrected the "Achche Din" refrain to question the Modi government. Mr Shah was in Bhopal to review a membership drive.
