PM Modi tries to play a soprano recorder before school children in Tokyo. (Reuters)
"We used to have red tape and now instead you have a red carpet," Prime Minister Narendra Modi told his audience in Tokyo today.
While the jury is still out on how the Modi government has performed in its first 100 days, many would argue that the former chief minister of Gujarat has brought his trademark CEO style and speed of functioning to the Centre, something the PM who is on a state visit to the island nation aggressively pitched to investors. Japan has pledged to invest 35 billion dollars in India over the next five years.
Back home too, the government laid out a report card on the work done in the first 100 days.
"Ending an impression of policy paralysis and having a government that is working" are the top achievements of the government, said Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar. "There used to be hundreds of files and delays. That has now been done away with. There are no pending files on my desk," he added.
The Congress however tore into the government's claim with spokesperson and former minister Anand Sharma asking, "where are the achche din," that the Modi government promised.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi also challenged the government's claims on development and work for the common man. "The people will give a reply to whether prices have come down or not," Mrs Gandhi said.
The Congress has also accused the government of stealing credit for schemes that were incorporated during the UPA rule.