PM Modi doubles down on 'naaraaz fufa ji' jibe, takes fresh swipe at Opposition after unveiling ₹35,000 crore projects in Vadodara
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "PM Modi doubles down on 'naaraaz fufa ji' jibe, takes fresh swipe at Opposition after unveiling ₹35,000 crore projects in Vadodara")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at the gathering during the 'NaMo for Viksit Bharat' event, in Vadodara Photograph: (ANI)
PM Modi again uses ‘naaraaz fufa ji’ to target critics as he highlights Rs 35,000 crore projects and attacks the Congress-led UPA’s record
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sharpened his attack on the Opposition, once again using the phrase ‘naaraaz fufa ji’, or angry uncle, for critics who question his government’s development record. Speaking at the NaMo for Viksit Bharat event in Gujarat’s Vadodara, Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for development projects worth Rs 35,000 crore. Among the key projects is a 2,800-kilometre dedicated rail freight corridor, which he described as a ‘historic achievement of the 21st century’.
Modi contrasted the project’s progress under the BJP with what he described as the slower pace during the Congress-led UPA government. He said the freight corridor was conceived under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee but saw little progress during the tenure of Manmohan Singh. "The freight corridor project was conceived in 2004 but nothing moved till BJP came to power in 2014," he said. Taking another dig at critics who question the relevance of the project, Modi used the “naaraaz fufa ji” expression again. "One naaraaz fufa ji will be crying out, ‘What will the truck drivers do?’ Uncle Ji now has work," he jibed.
The Prime Minister said the dedicated freight corridor would extend rail connectivity to regions that had remained without it even decades after Independence. He linked the project to the broader objective of creating a stronger domestic supply chain and advancing Atmanirbharta, or self-reliance. Modi also compared the BJP government's railway infrastructure record with that of the previous UPA administration. "After 2014, India built 50,000 modern railway coaches; previous regime could not build even 50,000 toilets in 10 years."
When did PM Modi coined the term — ‘naaraaz fufa ji’
He said India was entering a new manufacturing phase, with domestic production expanding across the value chain, from semiconductors to large vessels. The Prime Minister's latest remarks come days after he first used the “naaraaz fufa ji” phrase at the Shri Ram College of Commerce Centenary event. His speech there featured several references to Gen Z terminology as he sought to connect with younger voters. At the event, Modi used the analogy while responding to criticism surrounding India's stronger-than-expected 7.8 per cent GDP growth in the first quarter of 2026-27. He accused ‘negative people’ of turning opposition to government initiatives into a routine exercise.
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"Outside the campus, you will find two types of people: those who positively transform the power of society into the power of the nation and the others who turn into naaraaz fufa as soon as any work begins," he said. The remark drew a response from Opposition leaders. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticised what he called the Prime Minister's repeated use of labels against critics and said such descriptions do not address the government's shortcomings.
"Naraz Fufa, Dimaagi Naxal, Urban Naxal, Khan Market Gang, Andolan-jiwi, Parjivi. Adjectives keep changing, but the Modi government's anti-people policies do not change," Kharge said in an X post. Kharge also took a swipe at Modi's Gen Z outreach, urging the Prime Minister to listen to students rather than rely on rhetoric. "Modi ji, outreach is only needed when you become out of reach," Kharge said.
