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Amit Shah noted that under PM Modi, India’s foreign policy has gained strength and clarity, and added that historians will judge Modi’s tenure more favourably than Nehru’s

Union Home Minister Amit Shah (PTI Image)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given India’s foreign policy a spine, distancing it from the approach of his predecessors, including the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Shah noted that under PM Modi, India’s foreign policy has gained strength and clarity, and added that historians will judge Modi’s tenure more favourably than Nehru’s.
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“When historians compare Prime Minister Modi’s era with that of other leaders, the outcome will favour PM Modi,” Shah told NDTV when asked how the Modi and Nehru periods would be judged in retrospect.
Jawaharlal Nehru remains India’s longest-serving prime minister, holding office for over 16 years.
Whereas PM Modi, with a continuous tenure exceeding 11 years, is the country’s second-longest-serving prime minister.
PM Modi also holds the record as Gujarat’s longest-serving Chief Minister, having led the state from October 2001 to May 2014.
Shah also dismissed claims that a “larger-than-life personality cult” around PM Modi is behind the BJP’s electoral success or is a justification for moving to a presidential system of government.
He noted that such a cult cannot be manufactured, and that PM Modi’s stature has grown organically through years of experience and accomplishment.
“From a child from a very poor family, to working in an organisation, to contesting Sarpanch elections, becoming a successful Chief Minister, and then the Prime Minister — he has achieved many things that seemed impossible. The country and the world have taken note of his accomplishments,” Shah told NDTV.
He highlighted Modi’s role as the BJP’s primary election face, especially in constituencies where the party struggled to find a strong local candidate.
“His speeches draw millions to rallies, and his popularity has remained consistently high since the BJP came to power in 2014,” Shah added.
Addressing the idea that Modi’s persona was deliberately created, Shah said, “Personality cannot be made. It is built through hard work, sacrifice, patience, and continuous effort.”
Reflecting on Modi’s evolution over the years, Shah — who has known him since his pracharak days — said, “He has excelled in every role he has taken on, and his growth has been the result of dedication and perseverance.”
September 22, 2025, 23:18 IST
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