NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said that tough reforms in India are difficult as ‘we are too much of a democracy’.

Kant’s remark came while he was responding to a question at Swarajya Magazine’s online event, ‘The Road to Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

Answering a question on whether the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for India to take the lead in manufacturing, Kant said, ‘So tough reforms are very difficult in the Indian context, we are too much of a democracy.’

He said that for the first time, the government has shown the courage and the determination to carry out very hard-headed reforms in mining, coal, labour, agriculture. ‘You needed a huge amount of political determination and administrative will to carry out these reforms which are being done,’ Kant added.

The remark has come amid the ongoing tussle between the government and the farmers over the three farm laws. Kant advocated that the legislations don’t disturb the minimum support system and mandis, reported The Indian Express.

Both Kant and Swarajya Magazine later clarified that he was speaking about the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme and in context of the manufacturing sector and not on the political system in India.

This is definitely not what I said. I was speaking about MEIS scheme & resources being spread thin & need for creating global champions in manufacturing sector. https://t.co/6eugmtoinB

— Amitabh Kant (@amitabhk87) December 8, 2020

Swarajya’s interaction with @amitabhk87 was on PLI & manufacturing and not on political systems. His response was in the context of spreading resources too thin & not creating global champions. Some mischievous elements have attempted to distort & quote it totally out of context.

— Swarajya (@SwarajyaMag) December 8, 2020

After Kant’s explanation, the news agency PTI withdrew its report. Hindustan Times also deleted the article based on PTI’s inputs. However, the article is still available on India Today and Financial Express.

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