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Old tweets, videos make the rounds as Twitter takes PM Modi to task on FDI 'U-turn'

Speed News team | Updated on: 10 February 2017, 1:49 IST

The government eased foreign direct investment (FDI) norms in pharma, aviation and defence sectors on 20 June - hours after Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said he would not seek a second term.

"Centre has radically liberalised the FDI regime, with the objective of providing major impetus to employment and job creation in India," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

"India is now the most open economy in the world for foreign direct investment," he said.

The ruling party was once strongly opposed to these very FDI norms, that the UPA government - then in power - was vying for. In 2012, Modi, then the CM of Gujarat, accused the Manmohan Singh government of "giving India away to foreigners".

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley - then in the opposition - had said that BJP would oppose FDI "till the last breath".

Modi had also lashed out at the UPA-led centre, saying the Congress' move to bring about FDI in retail would "harm the manufacturing sector" and would render many jobless.

Interestingly, "economy and job creation" was the peg on which PM Modi announced the FDI reforms on 20 June 2016.

Social media users trained their guns at the PM Modi-led government, to remind them that political tactics are seldom forgotten so easily.

A video of then-Gujarat CM Narendra Modi accusing the Manmohan Singh-led Congress government of acting against farmers and shopkeepers also went viral. Watch it below:

"The Indian government has taken a decision and I want to give my commentary on that decision. I'm surprised as to what this prime minister is doing. The small traders who are here must understand. He (Manmohan Singh) has decided to lock down the shops of grocery shop owners and other small traders and decided to issue permit to foreigners and the FDI. If foreigners are allowed to invest 100% in retail, who will go to small traders to buy their products?" Modi had said.

Twitter users began to circulate screenshots of old tweets from Modi.

Many users accused the NDA-led centre of "taking a u-turn" on their stand. Here is a look at a few tweets criticising the ruling party's stand:

First published: 21 June 2016, 5:43 IST