Classmate who does no work, but shows up to take all credit: Congress’ dig at PM over UPI

A day after French President Emmanuel Macron lauded India's UPI architecture, the Congress on Friday (February 20, 2026) said its initial conception happened under the UPA government in 2012-2013 and likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a student in a group project who doesn't work, but shows up to take all the credit.

The Opposition party said that bereft of the capacity to come up with groundbreaking ideas, Mr. Modi is happy cutting ribbons, "blabbering ludicrous acronyms", cursing the Congress and "stealing credit".

Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit on Thursday, Mr. Macron began his address by lauding India's journey in the digital space.

"Ten years ago, a street vendor in Mumbai could not open a bank account. No address, no papers, no access. And today, the same vendor accepts payments on his phone, instantly. Instantly, for free, from anyone in the country," he said.

NPCI extends ‘UPI One World’ wallet service to visitors from 40 countries to AI Summit