Modi government took India from gloom to hope: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, May 29: Terming the Narendra Modi government's one year in office as the "year of consolidation", Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said it has changed the general feeling from that of "despair to hope".

"The country was in despair and gloom during the past ten years of UPA rule but it has been changed to hope within one year of NDA, governance," the minister said.

Addressing a press conference here on the completion of one year of the Modi government in office - 'Saal Ek, Shuruat Anek', he said poor governance has been taken over by development and things are improving fast.

"We have taken good governance and development back home 'inki Ghar Vapsi karai hai humne' (We have brought them back home)," he said.

Touching upon various aspects and the work areas of the government, the minister said "Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelling abroad and meeting various world leaders has made a lot of positive change for India".

"There was this non-alignment passive diplomacy during UPA's rule but now it's pro-active diplomacy by our government," he said.

"Be it socio-economic, diplomatic and other areas, things have improved a lot," Singh said, adding that all economic indicators during the Congress rule were down but now they were looking up.

Elaborating on how India's economy was speeding up, the minister said it has been made investor friendly and lots of investors are coming to India to invest in various business ventures, whereas the country was being looted during the UPA's rule.

"Our economy would start moving faster than China's soon as our government addresses all issues with total transparency, "he said.

Criticising former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the home minister said that he was an economist but could not curb rise in prices of general commodities.

People suffered during the UPA government. It failed to contain the ever rising prices of essential commodities but within one year of the NDA government the growth rate has gone up and inflation is down, Singh said while discussing the general achievements of his government.

"Manmohan Singh was 'arthshastri' (economist) but our Modi is 'yathartshastri' (practical)," he said, adding how the government scheme of 'Jan-dhan Yojna', through which Modi got the country's poor connected to the banking system, was being appreciated across the world.

Talking about India's nuclear agreement with France during Modi's recent visit to the country, the home minister said it would help India in a big way.

Singh also said that during the past one year, the government has cleared 40 defence related proposals.

"It's has been done with full transparency," he added.

The home minister said that internal security was sound and the threat from terrorism and naxalism was being dealt with firmly.

On centre-state relations, the minister said the central government was not in conflict with any of the state governments.

Speaking on the tussle with the Delhi government over the ministry of home affairs' recent notification, Singh said: "We don't have problem with any government".

IANS