25 Years Of PM Modi Governance: Major Political And Legal Flashpoint That Sparked Protests

“Speaking as the head of the government, this continuous journey of twenty-five years, people view it as an achievement. But how do I see it? For me, this is not a matter of personal glorification, nor is it the occasion for it,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha in Delhi, Modi credited the public for his uninterrupted tenure as head of government. His journey began on October 7, 2001, when he became Gujarat chief minister without having previously contested an election.

“Today, I have completed 25 years of continuously serving as head of government. This is the blessing of the people. I bow before the people of the country,” he said.

More than twelve years in Gujarat were followed by three successive terms as prime minister. During that period, his governments pursued longstanding BJP commitments, expanded welfare programmes, promoted manufacturing and digital payments, and authorised military operations against targets across the Pakistan border.

The anniversary also brings into focus the disputes that accompanied those decisions—from citizenship legislation and demonetisation to agricultural reforms and examination leaks. Here is a look at the principal milestones of his tenure, followed by the controversies and protests.

Ram Temple And Article 370

The Ram temple in Ayodhya and the removal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status were among the BJP’s longstanding commitments realised during Modi’s prime ministership.

Modi led the temple’s consecration ceremony on January 22, 2024. Construction followed the Supreme Court’s 2019 judgment awarding the disputed site for a temple and directing the allotment of alternative land for a mosque. The court also described the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 as unlawful.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre moved to end Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370. Parliament also approved reorganising the former state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

The government presented the decision as constitutional integration. Political detentions and communications restrictions accompanied the move, which faced legal challenges. In December 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the removal of special status.

Triple Talaq And Waqf Legislation

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, made instant triple talaq illegal and punishable. It followed the Supreme Court’s 2017 decision setting aside the practice. The government described the legislation as a measure to protect Muslim women’s rights.

During Modi’s third term, Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, changing how Muslim charitable endowments are administered and overseen. The government defended it as a reform, while opponents challenged provisions concerning religious administration and property rights.

In September 2025, the Supreme Court declined to suspend the entire law but stayed or restricted several provisions through an interim order. These included provisions concerning disputed waqf properties and the requirement to demonstrate five years of practising Islam before creating a waqf.

Surgical Strikes, Balakot And Operation Sindoor

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has responded to major terrorist attacks with military strikes against targets in Pakistan and across the Line of Control, taking a clear stance against terrorism.

India announced surgical strikes across the Line of Control following the Uri attack in September 2016. After the Pulwama bombing in February 2019, Indian aircraft struck Balakot in Pakistan. The government said the operation targeted a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp.

Operation Sindoor began on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. India said it targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Subsequent military exchanges widened the confrontation before both sides agreed to halt military action on May 10.

UPI, Economic Growth And Make In India

Digital payments expanded substantially during Modi’s tenure. Developed by NPCI under RBI oversight, the Unified Payments Interface began its pilot in April 2016. It enabled instant transfers between bank accounts through participating applications and became widely used for everyday payments.

NPCI recorded more than 22 billion UPI transactions in April 2026. Its development involved the payments institution, regulators, banks and technology providers.

Make in India, launched in September 2014, sought to attract investment and strengthen manufacturing. Subsequent measures included production-linked incentives and increased infrastructure spending.

The Goods and Services Tax, introduced in July 2017 after negotiations with states, replaced multiple indirect taxes with a common framework.

India has remained among the faster-growing major economies, although the period includes the pandemic contraction. The IMF’s July 2026 update projected real GDP growth of 6.4 per cent for 2026.

Welfare, Sanitation And Education

Modi’s governments introduced programmes covering banking access, sanitation, cooking-gas connections, health insurance and income support for farmers. Jan Dhan expanded access to bank accounts, supporting the wider use of direct benefit transfers.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, launched on October 2, 2014, made sanitation and toilet construction a national campaign. Government figures recorded approximately 11.5 crore rural household toilets constructed by April 2022. Later phases focused on sustaining facilities and managing waste.

The National Education Policy, approved in July 2020, proposed a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure covering ages three to eighteen, stronger foundational learning and more flexible, multidisciplinary higher education. Its implementation involves both the Centre and states.

The government also oversaw the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme after the pandemic and lockdown disrupted livelihoods, education and economic activity.

Gujarat’s Development Programmes

Before taking office in Delhi, Modi promoted industrial investment, electricity reforms and infrastructure development as Gujarat chief minister.

Vibrant Gujarat, launched in 2003, became a recurring platform for businesses and governments to discuss investment opportunities.

The Jyotigram scheme separated agricultural electricity feeders from household and other supplies. A study published in Agricultural Water Management found that it covered almost all Gujarat’s approximately 18,000 villages by 2006, providing regulated farm power alongside improved non-agricultural supply.

The BJP won Gujarat elections under Modi in 2002, 2007 and 2012. Nationally, it secured 282 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 and 303 in 2019. Its tally fell to 240 in 2024, leaving coalition partners necessary for his third government.

Citizenship Law And Demonetisation

From the cash shortages after demonetisation to street protests over citizenship, major decisions by the Modi government have also triggered public anger and sustained political opposition.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, passed in 2019, created a citizenship pathway for specified non-Muslim communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India before the prescribed cutoff. Implementation rules were notified in March 2024.

Its exclusion of Muslims, alongside proposals for a nationwide National Register of Citizens, triggered protests. Critics feared discrimination and difficulties proving citizenship. The government maintained that the law granted citizenship to persecuted minorities and did not take it away from existing Indian citizens.

Demonetisation remains a contested economic decision. On November 8, 2016, the government withdrew the legal-tender status of existing ₹500 and ₹1,000 notes, citing black money, counterfeiting and terror financing.

The move caused cash shortages and disruption. The RBI subsequently reported that 99.3 per cent of the withdrawn currency had returned to the banking system. The government defended the exercise, while Opposition parties questioned its effectiveness.

Farmers’ Protests And Manipur

Agrarian discontent was visible before the 2019 election. In November 2018, farmers marched in Delhi seeking debt relief and better crop prices.

The prolonged agitation against three agricultural laws came in 2020–21. Farmers feared the changes would weaken existing market protections and increase corporate influence. The government argued that they would expand opportunities and attract investment.

After the year-long protest, the government repealed the laws in 2021. Demands for legally guaranteed minimum support prices continued.

Ethnic violence in Manipur from May 2023 brought scrutiny of the BJP-led state administration and the Centre. Opposition parties accused the government of failing to contain the conflict. Additional security forces were deployed, and Manipur became central to the Opposition’s no-confidence motion that year.

Scrutiny Of His Early Tenure And Latest Protests

Modi’s early Gujarat tenure faced allegations over his government’s handling of the communal violence of 2002, following the burning of a train coach at Godhra. More than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.

Modi denied wrongdoing. In 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the Special Investigation Team’s clean chit to him and others.

More recently, examination leaks have brought young protesters onto the streets. Reuters reported that sustained demonstrations over the 2026 NEET-UG controversy led to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

The current confrontation concerns electoral-roll revision. Opposition parties and youth groups allege irregularities in SIR and demand CEC Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation. The Election Commission has rejected allegations of internal discord and maintained that its decisions were unanimous. These protests form the latest backdrop to an anniversary spanning Modi’s Gujarat administration and three terms in national government.

From taking charge of Gujarat in 2001 to leading India for three successive terms, Modi’s 25 years in government span an extensive political career, making him the third longest serving PM of India.