PM Narendra Modi borrowed the phrase "Acche Din" from his predecessor, Nitin Gadkari said. (File Photo)

Highlights Nitin Gadkari credited Manmohan Singh using 'Acche Din' first.

It is a bone stuck in our throat, Nitin Gadkari said.

Acche Din was a top keyword in BJP's campaign in 2014 national election.

Joking that the BJP was saddled with the phrase "Acche Din" or good times, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today credited Manmohan Singh with using it first. Prime Minister Narendra Modi borrowed it from his predecessor, Mr Gadkari said at an event in Mumbai."It is Modi-ji's who told us...when Manmohan Singh was PM, he used it, and now it is stuck to us so much that everyone shouts - when will there be "Acche Din," Mr Gadkari said while responding to a question at an event organized by the newspaper Lokmat Times."It is a bone stuck in our throat. Our country is such an ocean of dissatisfied souls that Acche Din never come...media should not misinterpret me...Those who have cycles want scooters, and those who have scooters want cars. It is not wrong, but the wealthy are dissatisfied too."The minister traced the etymology to a Delhi conference, when, he said, Dr Singh promised Acche Din in the future in response to questions from NRIs. "Then Modi-ji said it somewhere and it got stuck to us. Still, I believe that Acche Din means people have good expectations," said Mr Gadkari.

The promise of Acche Din was a top keyword in BJP's campaign for the 2014 national election. But the phrase deemed a big hit with voters has since been mocked by opposition parties and BJP critics to target the government on what they call unfulfilled promises.Recently, comedian Kapil Sharma used the phrase sarcastically while alleging corruption in Mumbai's civic body in tweets tagging PM Modi.