Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an interview with Aaj Tak, spoke on a range of topics. Speaking to the journalists, PM Modi shed light on why elections should not be a 5-year agenda. Further, he also said that questions should be raised on which family misruled the nation initially and who was the first one to tamper with the Constitution and Democracy.
Anjana Om Kashyap: Hello, you are watching Aaj Tak, I am Anjana Om Kashyap with you...
“वो जो मेरे सामने मुश्किलों का अंबार है। उसी से मेरे हौसलों की मीनार है.”(the pile of problems in front of me. It is from them that my tower of courage is built...)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, these are the lines of a poem written by you, you have set a target of crossing four hundred, to discuss this, my three colleagues are with me, Shweta Singh, Rahul Kanwal and Sudhir Chaudhary, all four of us will ask questions.
PM Modi: Welcome to all of you and my greetings to the viewers of Aaj Tak. I am happy that during this election I got the opportunity to meet the people of Aaj Tak many times at some place or the other but this Chatushtkon (Quadrilateral) is complete when four of them get together. There are many types of proverbs, I cannot use them all. I will tell you the good ones.
Anjana Om Kashyap: When Prime Minister ji prepares for elections, he makes a list of candidates. Who will be our star campaigner, all this is decided in the manifesto. But you have started preparing the agenda for the next 100 days. That is why my first question to you is that When you came in 2014, within 100 days you formed SIT on the alleged black money. When you came in 2019, on the 62nd day you brought freedom from triple talaq and in Kashmir, on the 66th day you brought freedom from 370 in kashmir. If you come to power in 2024, what will you do in 100 days? What big and tough decisions can you take?
PM Modi: One is probably a part of my working style. I do things very well and advanced. When I used to work for the organization, I was very predictable that I have to do this at this time that is why I divide my time properly. I can also decide priorities very easily. I have not been a student of any management school, but perhaps this has developed while working. When I was in Gujarat, I and generally the critics or observers look at the initial period. Even when a daughter-in-law comes to the house after marriage, she is watched closely for the first five-seven to ten days, this is the nature of the world. So I felt that I should also address this. And I moved in that direction. Now let me tell you a very interesting incident. On January 26, there was an earthquake in Gujarat. It was a terrible earthquake. I was working for the party at that time. On October 7, I suddenly had to become the CM. After taking the oath of CM, I came straight to the earthquake-affected area. I stayed there for two-three nights, saw everything. Earlier I used to look after it as a volunteer, now I was looking after it as CM. Then I came and took a meeting of my officers, everyone told me that this will be done by the month of March. I said first of all this is your budget Ledger of March, keep this paper aside. Tell me what will you do before 26th January? I said the world will come to see on 26th January. What did you do in one year? Postpone everything, tell me. Then I mobilized the entire machinery? And I came here probably on 24th January during the day and did a press conference and gave the report card to the country. And at that time as per my estimation, a large amount of media had reached Gujarat and that media had reached there which wanted to skin us alive. But you will see the fun, the report of 24th, 25th and 26th January was nothing but applause and one reason for that was that I preponed the deadline of March. So the enthusiasm of my team increased, successful work is being recognized, so I understand its power and that is why I do not want to think that the government will run by its own(without deadline) randomly, we will see if some good thing comes. No, I have to run the government. People have not appointed me to run the government not only to run for the sake of running.
I have to run some things in the country. I have to change some things and that is why what I did plan.
In 2014, I thought for 100 days, I had a manifesto for 5 years. In 2019, I also saw this and along with that I drew some attention from the global picture. In 2024, my thinking is a little big and long. I have been working for the last 5 years. And the work is going on for 5 years. I can say that there are more than 20 lakh people from the country from whom I have taken inputs and I have prepared a vision document based on them, two generations of officers must have retired and while working on this, many new people have come. Now I said, I had just organized a big summit a month before the announcement of the elections. I consulted all of them and everything came true.
Then I said, brother, tell me about the priority in 5 years keeping in mind 2047. Then I made a map for 5 years. Then I told them to give me 100 days of actionable points from this. Then I will tell you that my priority one will be this, second priority will be B, priority C, and priority t2 will be this.
Do it on that basis. So they are working. They have prepared it. I am yet to sit with them. I will take out some time and sit with them. So this is ready. But now while working, a new idea has come to my mind. Which I am telling you for the first time. When I was thinking of 100 days, now I have been forced to think of 125 days and I have also become excited. I saw that in this entire campaign, be it the first time voters or the young generation, I am seeing their madness. I am feeling their inspiration, so I am probably going to announce today that I want to work for 125 days. I have made a plan for 100 days. I want to add 25 more days. And I want the youth in that, you give me ideas, you tell me your priority, so I want to dedicate 25 days in total to the youth of my country, I will do it, I am moving ahead from 100. 25 days
Sudhir Chaudhary: so it is possible Sir, after watching our program the youth will involve themselves only
PM Modi: People will like it very much.
Sudhir Chaudhary: Sir, look, it is such a big thing that the elections are not over yet and we are talking about your next term. People feel that you are going to come back. When BJP tickets were being given, people used to say that it is not a ticket, it is a certificate of election. Everywhere, the biggest asset of BJP is your face and your work. Did you ever feel that this time during the third term, the candidates also thought that they have to win on your name only? You have done so well in your work that they do not need to work hard. So according to that, you are seeing that there is lack of participation or more winning surety is required in the candidates rather.
PM Modi: Firstly, the Election that I am going to win, Government will be formed by us. You are very late in coming to this conclusion, very late. I got a call from President Putin. For the invitation of the September meeting. I got a call from G-7 that we need a meeting, the world is fully confident that this government will be formed. You are very late. But still it is better late than never. As far as the election is concerned, I had told my party a year ago. In a big meeting, I had said that don't wait for the candidate, your candidate has been declared. And that is Kamal(Lotus). Kamal(Lotus) is your candidate and there is no one else, so for one year I have decided to work only for Kamal. I had refused my party in that way. So we all are working for Kamal. I am also working for Kamal. My colleagues are also working for Kamal and our opponents are also working for Kamal. Because the more mud they throw, the more the Lotus blooms, so they are doing that work and we are talking about Lotus.
Sudhir Chaudhary: But, you feel that this is your most comfortable Election.
PM Modi: We should never go into the comfort zone. If this is comfortable then I will challenge myself. See, you must have noticed that there are more accidents on straight highways and where there are curves, there are fewer accidents. I want to keep my team alert and awake. I want to keep them running, so I do not accept a world of comfort zone.
Sudhir Chaudhary: People also say that if everything is so easy then why are you working so hard?
PM Modi: Hard work, I consider this an opportunity. For me, I am meeting the people. Understanding their feelings is my life force and my energy. Secondly, in a democracy, we should not take elections in the limited sense of victory or defeat. It is a very big open university in a way. You have the opportunity to take your thoughts to the people. And when you take your thoughts directly, then there is neither dilution nor diversion, that is, you can convey the message perfectly. Like, I had gone to Kashi. I was in Kashi mode, but when I went to Koderma and saw the scene there, I changed the topic of my entire speech. Earlier, I used to go. I used to think differently because I felt that I have to talk to these people. And I believe. It is the duty of all political parties to make full use of elections. Educate the voters, educate them with your working style, and educate them with your programs. Everyone should do this work. I would like to do it even now, there are still fifteen to twenty days left.
Sweta Singh: This is your third Lok Sabha election that I am covering. I have seen that everywhere you stand up with the responsibility to vote in the name of Modi because there is a fear in it which perhaps you do not feel. But you have started with the slogan of crossing four hundred(400 Paar), which means that at that time everyone had dominated you that how will four hundred be achieved and even today the same issue, the same discussion is there.
PM Modi: They are your family members. If your child scores ninety marks, you must have told him that he has to score ninety-five (95%) next time, you must have said that. If he scores ninety-nine, you must have said that it is difficult to score hundred but still look at it. You must have said that. We already had 400 in nineteen to twenty-four(2019-2024) as NDA and NDA Plus, it is my duty as a guardian that if we have to go beyond four hundred, then it is my responsibility because we should keep moving ahead. The second thing is that as far as responsibility is concerned, it is the duty of the leadership. Today it is the misfortune of the country that the blame is put on others. The leaders run away, save their skin. This is the most disappointing and sad thing for the country. There is at least one person who is ready to take responsibility, who does not run away. Who says yes, I say it is my responsibility. And in the political life of the country, there should be people who take responsibility in every party. There should not be such people who run away after putting the blame on their colleagues, it does not look good.
Rahul Kanwal: Prime Minister, when the 2014 elections were held, there was a lot of anger in the country against Manmohan Singh, Congress and UPA. People wanted change. The 2019 elections were held. Before that Pulwama Balakot happened. There was a feeling of nationalism across the country and people wanted to give you another chance. This time analysts are saying that do voters have the same kind of enthusiasm and passion that they had in 2019. The voting percentage has decreased a bit. How do you see the decline in voting percentage and do you think that in a way voters do not have the same kind of enthusiasm that they had in 2014 and 2019. How do you see that?
PM Modi: Some people's livelihood depends on this, what do they have to do to remain relevant, some things have to be left out, else it will become a perception that he has won the election, friend, it will be useless for them(analysts). So this is also a reason.
I remember I used to work for the party in Gujarat, so maybe that election would be some election prior to 1995 probably. So before that municipal elections had come and in municipal elections, people did not fight on symbols. Mostly people used to fight independently, but BJP started that no, we should fight on symbols, so that people get used to it because responsibility is fixed. BJP workers also used to fight independently, so we fought on party symbol, but naturally independents won more. Journalists who used to come from Delhi with files and the election was a family election. They used to ask, “You lost the family election. How will you win the election just now”, so I said friend you people don't have any work, both of you do some homework, how are these municipal elections held? You should study it, it is like that. Instead of looking at voting, politics of voting, party performance etc. in terms of things, one should see that voting is very important in democracy, indifference is not good for democracy. Our narrative should be such that the democracy of the country becomes strong, instead of that we start looking for results in it and that too is not a fact but just an argument, now what will we do by wasting time on those arguments? I go down to the ground and I have never claimed before. You must have seen that the complaint against me is that I do not claim about winning or losing. This time also I did not claim, in the House people were saying that it crossed four hundred (400), I myself did not claim but I come to know that. Yes I prepare, what I will do in hundred days (100 days).
Sweta Singh: Questions are raised on institutions, opposition parties make very serious allegations against the government, Election Commission on which people have faith, so I want your answer to that allegation that when the first phase of elections took place, it took eleven days to get the voting figures.
PM Modi: You asked a very good question and I expect at least from Aaj Tak and India Today that the Election Commission has reverted with a letter. So there should be a debate among scholars on that letter. There should be a debate between experts who know this subject and whether they did right or wrong because it is not right for me to comment on the EC. Secondly, the Election Commission has been a single member for about fifty-sixty years. And the funny thing is that the people who came out of the Election Commission sometimes became governors. Sometimes they became MPs. Sometimes they went to contest the Parliamentary elections in front of Advani ji, that is, they are examples of how opposition had made people sit on EC Chair. The Election Commission of that era, who retired, still tweets promoting the same political philosophy. They give their opinion and write articles, which means that now the Election Commission has become completely independent and I would like Aaj Tak and I am sure that you people will do it, that there should be an analysis on the journey of the Election Commission of India. My second point is that we have different things for branding India in the world. Like when I tell the world that I have nine hundred TV channels, what those TV channels do to me is not my issue. I tell the world that this is my country, nine hundred TV channels. Having nine hundred TV channels is the strength of my country, so I took it in front of the world. Election Commission of India, election process of India is a great wonder for the world. It is the duty of all of us to brand our country. I want that you people should invite different media houses from all over the world. Two helicopters should be taken for them during elections (Laughing...). There is nothing wrong in it.
Sudhir Chaudhary: you gave me a good idea for the next time.
PM Modi: This will also make you a global figure. Like this time many people from political parties came here from all over the world. Some people come as observers, to watch. It is really a celebration of India's democracy and the society of the common man of India and what a huge management it is, lakhs of people are involved and the time limit is amazing, I believe that this is a study for the universities of the world. This is a very big achievement of India. We should be proud.
Anjana Om Kashyap: Did you see Aaj Tak's helicopter shot or not?
PM Modi: No, I did not get time but I was definitely worried because in such a rush, whether you will get good helicopters or not, whether you will get one for landing or not and if there is any VIP movement, you will face obstruction in flying there. There will be weather problems, which means it is not easy, it is very difficult.
Sudhir Chaudhary: we were talking about narrative. Sir, whenever you contest elections, whether in Gujarat or here, people say that you are going to lose, but then you win and win more seats. Ever since you told people about your Uniform Civil Code and made this promise, there is a different narrative on that too. Now people say that there will be one nation one dress. There will be one nation one food, there will be one nation one language. And its future is that now there will be one nation one leader and we are moving in that direction.
PM Modi: have you ever had the opportunity to counter those who say such things? Do it at least once, where did you get this narrative from? You are telling a serious thing. Tell them whether you have read UCC? It is your responsibility to tell the country what UCC is, answer me. You should also do your homework but at least this country has an example. Goa has UCC. Tell me, do the people of Goa wear the same type of clothes? Do the people of Goa eat the same type of food? What a joke this Uniform Civil Court is, it has nothing to do with it. The Supreme Court of India has said at least two dozen times to bring UCC in this country. I remember that when I went on the Ekta Yatra, I was going from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and in Maharashtra, probably in Aurangabad, most likely, there was a program scheduled in one chilli market in evening And Dr. Joshi ji was allergic to it. So he suddenly fell ill. They did not even know whether we should do the program there or not further, so I had to take charge. I was very junior. So I was going there, all the children were studying in one of our schools. I said stop the chariot, let's talk, so I went to talk to the children. Such video must be available somewhere at that time, I told the children, “there are five people in your family. Your parents have one set of rules and regulations for the elder brother and another for the second brother and third one. How can this run? No. I said brother (bhaisahab), I had asked ten questions, those children said, it should definitely be done in uniform. And these were the children of the eighth class. What the children of the two-tier city of Maharashtra of my country understand, the country's leaders do not understand. Then a question arises in my mind, these false narratives and these false narratives do not work for any person, sorry, it is the irresponsible behavior of the media house of this country that gives strength to such wrong narratives. What power does one person have, he will keep on speaking, who will ask? This is of the country, for the country, it is not a matter of any political party, it is written in the constitution of the country that India should move in that direction. Did our people at that time (congress regime) think that everyone will have to plant roses (without naming Nehru)? That is why UCC was about to come. This came in the Constituent Assembly.
Sudhir Chaudhary: Now look at the narrative, it seems as if a new trend has started that the constitution is going to be changed. And he suddenly said this and it got popular.
PM Modi: If it was picked up, I don't believe it. But such lies can also be spread in this country. The question that should be asked is who first messed with the constitution in this country? Pandit Nehru did it. The first amendment he brought in the constitution was to restrict freedom of speech, which means it was against democracy as well as the constitution. The second amendment was brought by his daughter, she was the prime minister, and what did she do? The court gave a judgment that you cannot remain a member of parliament, so she (Indira without naming) overturned the court's judgment. There was a movement in the country, so she imposed emergency and closed all the newspapers. One benefit of emergency for Aroon Purie was the birth of India Today. At the same time India Today was born. After that her son(Rajiv without naming) came and Shah Bano's judgment came, he overturned the judgment of the Supreme Court. He changed the constitution, then he brought laws which were about restrictions on media. The opposition became a little stronger across the country. The media also started becoming vibrant. Everybody it came out saying that we will not let emergency come again, out of fear he had to withdraw it. Then his son(Rahul Gandhi Without naming) came. So the government was running by remote control. The remote control government is gone. The Prime Minister was also in office. The government was formed from the womb of the constitution. I like the government or I don't like it, it was a constitutional government through the democracy of India. The cabinet was formed from the womb of the constitution.
That cabinet took a decision and a prince called a press conference and tore apart the cabinet's decision. Not only this, the cabinet then reversed its issue. This means that four people from the same family have torn apart the constitution at different times. The time of those people doing such dirty acts for the constitution is over and that is why today I tell people boldly that as long as Modi is alive, the basic sentiment of the Constituent Assembly is that there will be no reservation on the basis of religion. I will fight for this. I will sacrifice my life for this. Reservation on the basis of religion.. You have divided the country on the basis of religion once, will you do this again on the basis of religion? Will you keep watching this game just to keep your position and keep getting the chair? The country will not accept it and I will be able to devote my life to educate the country.
Rahul Kanwal: Modi Ji, during this election and even before that, opposition parties have accused India of democracy being in danger. They say that the democratic institutions have become weaker than before. You have even been accused of being a dictator. How do you view this?
PM Modi: See, the first thing is that we have been repeatedly telling them to come to the Parliament for a debate but they feel that they have nothing to say, they don't even have people to say anything. All their new MPs come and tell me that Sir, our five years have been wasted and we could not speak a single word in it. I am talking about the opposition, I also told their leaders to do this, give an hour to your young first time MPs, then disturb (parliament) later. My effort is that these people do something but unfortunately for this Congress family, democracy means their being in power. They are still not ready to accept that since 2014, some other government has been elected for the country, other Prime Minister who has been elected by the country. They are not able to accept it from their heart and that is why they feel bad even if you are implementing their issues, promises, and their manifesto. If you are implementing their words today, they (opposition) should be happy that their work are getting completed, it is a good thing,.Pranab Mukherjee used to say, you must have seen in his book that the work he did with me, how democratically he worked and how much we have raised the prestige of the President's institution. Tell me about the Supreme Court, Government is being accused of having no say in the Supreme Court, this is the allegation on us. And in that we are being questioned for our ability. It means that earlier there were some capable people who used to manage the judiciary and that institution was fine. I believe why I should manage. The law will do its work.
Anjana Om Kashyap: Prime Minister Ji, an allegation is made against your government regarding the investigation agencies. The opposition shouts that ED, CBI and Income Tax, all these departments take strict action against the opposition people but become soft on those opposition leaders who join the NDA.
PM Modi: Don't avoid the issue by saying this, this is the way,… like I say that it is a family party, then our media people ask me questions about Rajnath ji`s son. There is a difference between the two. At least the media should not help these people in diverting the issues in this way. I will request them. When I say family party, it means party of the family by the family for the family. I don't think it is bad if ten people of a family come into public life. I don't mind if four people come forward with great enthusiasm, but they don't run the party, the party takes decisions, similarly, the steps taken by the ED, you tell me what news used to be there twenty years ago, there were searches on the black market, raids were conducted, so many things were seized, so much sugar was seized.
Now do those news come or not? Why? Because whatever work that institute did at that time, there was a change in the law. When taxation rules changed, the world of black market, theatre, black market wala is not heard in the public life of India. Not because it’s gone to the parliament but because of the work done by Institutes.
In theatre, one does not find black marketer anymore. The way it disappeared, corruption can also go. Why? If the person who has the responsibility works, then it will go away.
One should really ask, that ED was given so much salary for ten years, what work did they do? Why did they not work from 2004 to 2014? It was their duty.
Tell me, there is a railway ticket checker. If he will not check tickets, then what is the need to keep him. He is there for that work only.
If you are in the media, if you keep roaming around with Modi's flag with devotion, then who will keep you in Aajtak? Tomorrow you will be removed, that is your job, find ten things and bring them in front of the world, whatever seems right, take it to the world. It is your job and you people do it. Similarly, it is ED's job, let them do it, what the figures say, before 2004 to 2014, the system was the same. The law was the same. I did not make the law. I did not even make ED. They were totally useless, they did no work. They only confiscated Rs. 34-35 lakh, in ten years we were in opposition, who stopped them? My government has confiscated Rs. 2200 crore. Your TV people have shown heaps of notes. How can you defame them that ED? Money found from MP`s home. How can you refuse this? You tell me, If I confiscate a huge consignment of drugs, will you praise me or not? If ED confiscates it, then instead of praising, why makes them looks like criminal, what kind of a method is this? Why? Because it was confiscated from a politician's place?
Rahul Kanwal: Speaker: and you want it should be implied equally be it NDA or opposition…
PM Modi: No matter who it is, this is what should happen. My fight is against corruption in the country and it is destroying the country a lot.
Sweta Singh: Modi Ji, We have seen that in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, you people fight elections with great vigor. Be it the assembly elections or the Lok Sabha elections, BJD, YSR Congress, everyone will fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party. But when there is some bill in the Parliament where you need them, they stand with you. What kind of friend and enemy (frenemies) relationship is this?
PM Modi: I always say that elections should be held only for three or four months. Politics should not be done for all five years. We should sit together for four and a half years and run the country from wherever we are. Fight elections for six months with full strength. You must have seen friendly matches in sports, but when the match actually happens then there is a face to face fight for victory and defeat. Sportsmanship comes in to the picture then. In politics also, I believe that four and a half years should be spent together in the interest of the country on the basis of issues.
Anjana Om Kashyap: So you are committing to One Nation One Election in the third term
PM Modi: It is like this that my party has always been of the opinion on One Nation One Election and there is nothing new. You see what the situation is, I am surprised. I feel very sad that when elections are being held in a state. And the Prime Minister of the country is going to that state and giving a speech against the Chief Minister of any party. How will the country run? It is my compulsion that I have to go to that state and speak. And it is a political compulsion. It will be good if there are simultaneous elections, then whatever they want to say, will say. Whatever nectar (Amrit) comes out of it, we will come out and move forward. This will save the logistic expenditure.
When I was in Gujarat, even during Manmohan Singh ji's government, the Election Commission used to take the maximum number of officers from my place. Seventy-eighty of my officers used to go and were engaged in some election or the other for about a hundred days in a year, so I say my state is such an active state. If eighty people go, then how will I do it? Stop this, I will not give the observer, but the laws were such that I had to deploy them as per their need. This is the problem of every state. So many observers go, then the code of conduct is followed, everyone gets a vacation for forty-five days, everyone enjoys themselves, how can such a big country stop. There is a big crisis in such a big country.
Even earlier, there was One Nation One Election in our country, it has discontinued somehow post 67, so now we have set up a commission. The report of the commission has come. We are studying the report. After studying it, actionable points will come out of it. We have a commitment and the commitment is not only a political commitment. This is very important for the country.
Anjana Om Kashyap: Employment versus beneficiaries (Rojgar Banam Labharthi) is a debate going on in the country. The opposition says that the Congress party has come up with its Nyay Patra that promises 30 lakh jobs. They will give one lakh jobs to educated youth. Your focus remains on the beneficiaries. Now they (congress) are saying that we are dealing with the issue of unemployment in a more aggressive manner. This is the claim of the Congress.
PM Modi: If they are so honest then why do they keep mum where their governments are in states. Why don't they speak there? Secondly, if the government is responsible for employment, then why just only Government of India, the state government, the local government also have similar responsibility. This way I will have very little responsibility. Still, if you talk about fulfilling the promise, According to the recent employment records, the employment that has been provided by this micro finance in last 10 years, will you not consider that as employment?
There are ten to twelve schemes of the Centre on the basis of which they have analysed that when a house is built, how many person hours would be employed. Now 5 crore person per year has been reported. That means these much employment has been generated… this figure is very big.
If we look at it in terms of person hours, then someone should tell me how earlier if a hundred kilometres of road was built, today its gone to two hundred kilometres roads, then respective manpower would have been deployed or not.
Same comparison can be done with electrification and number of Airports built. 4 crores houses of poor people have been built. 11 crore toilets have been built. 5G has been rolled out at the fastest pace in the world. Infrastructure is required for this. It doesn’t happen just like that. This require towers. People who make small things are required for that. This means that if we add all these things, then in six seven years, you are getting six crore new jobs, this is on record. There has been an increase of hundred and sixty seven percent (167%) in the people covered by EPFO in ten years. Now whether you will accept this or not, Mudra loan is about forty three crore loans separately. In that, seventy percent are those who are getting employment for the first time. Now a person must be giving employment to at least one person. Some running business must be giving employment to one person. All this is not just boasting. The problem in our country is that the process of recruitment is so difficult. The advertisement will come out. The department will ask the finance, that is, its process. It takes one year before any person gets to know that a job is coming. I have made it so short. Today, it is getting finalized in two and a half to three months to complete the recruitment process for jobs. Complete the process in 2.5-3 months. These much reforms I did? But employment is such a wide subject that anything can be said. You can say anything. There are some people. Now like you, you have work here but you are thinking inside that I should be the chief editor, so according to that he is unemployed because he is not an editor.
Rahul Kanwal: Prime Minister, recently a report of international economists came in which they said that income inequality is increasing in India i.e. the rich are becoming richer. The poor are becoming poorer. The situation in India is that people at the top are becoming richer and people at the bottom are becoming poorer. How do you see this, which is the issue of income inequality?
PM Modi: so should everybody be poor? Everyone should be poor, then there will be no difference. This was the case in the country earlier. Now you say that everybody should rich, so it will happen gradually not overnight.
Some will come, they will bring those who are below. Those who will come a little higher, they will pull up others. So there is a process.
So either we decide that we all want to remain poor. There are two options, one if if everyone gets ten rupees, and you have to survive on ten rupees. Other one is that We should try and move forward. Today we will make ten tomorrow it will it will increase to hundred, then day after tomorrow it will become five hundred. There were a few hundreds start-ups and now there are 1.25 lakh start-ups, so progress is happening.
Earlier the number of people boarding an airplane was few, today an order has been booked for one thousand new planes. Today we have around six hundred- seven hundred planes government and private combined together, now there are one thousand new airplanes got booked, which means the prosperity has increased.. Today tell me people are paying for Badrinath Kedarnath Yatra. From where do they get the money? Yes, they must be getting from somewhere, if I have money then I do it, that number has reached crores. People are going abroad for marriage. If there were only five rich people then how the people of India would get so many marriages done abroad and that is why I said Wed in India.
Because that they are prospering they feeling like going abroad. They feel they have not seen Chennai and want to see Singapore now. So we should see it in the right way.
Rahul Kanwal: People are scared in to getting married in India thinking if Modiji gets report of their plan to get married abroad.
PM Modi: People are getting married in India is naturally is media`s version. But many people are writing letters to me and saying this that, I had booked, I have spent money but I never thought of this side of it..
Sweta Singh: Even these small places are worth getting married, people are getting ideas now
Sudhir Chaudhary: Even destination wedding is happening in Kashmir.
PM Modi: Let me tell you, they have earned a huge income from Badrinath and Kedarnath. Earlier they had religious tourism only , they had infrastructure for building though. Now they get wedding in off seasons also.
Sudhir Chaudhary: Now the Rahul spoke of Rich and poor
PM Modi: Which Rahul?
Sudhir Chaudhary: ours Rahul
PM Modi: that Rahul is not yours ……
Rahul Kanwal: Today sir is in form..
Sudhir Chaudhary: But I want to talk about the other Rahul. Sir, the image of you is that of a messiah of the poor. We have seen how women start crying when you go there. Poor women associate so much with you. All your schemes help 25 crore people come out of poverty line. But the allegation that the other Rahul is making against you is that you are friends with big industrialists. For the last five years, an attempt is being made to paste a sticker on your image and that sticker is that you are friends with Adani and Ambani. This is like black and white,.. what do you says
PM Modi: There is a problem of the family. That the family is burdened. Nehru ji used to face abuses. Birla -Tata ki Sarkar Billa, you will see in parliament, , Tata Nehru ji used to hear it continuously. Now the problem of this family is that the abuses that my maternal grandfather faced, Modi should also face them, then why did he bring Rafale? They thought if I will raise Rafale issue, it will wash away the sins of Bofors, so that is why it is a psychological problem. In this election, so much effort has never been put in efforts before, why are they doing it. They think that if Modi becomes the Prime Minister for the third time, then my father will not have any respect. My maternal grandmother will not have any respect, he will become equal to Nehru. They complete everything with him and that is why they have borrowed all these abuses from somewhere.
Now the second thing that I say from the Red Fort. I am not ashamed. I say from the Red Fort that in this country wealth creators should be respected. The reputation of the capable people and the powerful people in my country should increase. I include sportspersons and achievers in the guest list of my 15th August. If the country doesn’t worship achievers, the country is not valued, then from where will the people doing PhD come from in my country? Where will the scientists come from? There should be a voice in every field of life.
If tomorrow Aaj Tak becomes a global channel, I will be the first one to clap. I know what work Aaj Tak does with me, but I will clap for it. You are my country's Aaj Tak which has become global. I am saddened by this, that CNN, BBC becomes global channel, Al Jazeera came overnight and became a global channel.
Now someone will say that you are helping the wealthy Aroon Purie, but I am not helping the rich. Why shouldn't the multinational companies of my country be the pride of my country? Why shouldn't the companies of my country have shops in the world? Why the people from around the world should not come to my country, why you feel ashamed?
But yes, if I have done dishonesty, then should be hanged, if done in the wrong way, then should be hanged, but I will respect the wealth creator in my country. For the bright future of my country, as much as I worry about the sweat of the labours, the same way I worry about the wealth of wealth creators/capitalist. For me, it should be the money of the capitalist. The brain of management, the sweat of hard workers. I see all three as a family, only then development happens.
Sweta Singh: Yes. But since you have talked about this money, I remember something you said in one of your rallies about the healps of money seized from ED raid and searches. I have done a Shwet Patra on this, where the money seized by ED goes. It was very sad to learn that till the time case goes on money remains seized. So I said that this money which goes to the corrupt will reach us and will be returned.
PM Modi: Very good question. It will also help the viewers. I have talked about a couple of types of corruption, one that is done in big businesses in which the taker does not tell anything, the giver also does not tell anything. This is a problem but most of the people are innocent like in Bengal, in the recruitment of teacher’s case, it is known that this man got the job with money. He has nothing in hand, mortgaged land or house and gave money from that only, so there is a trail, so now we have done a lot of seized a lot of money. So yesterday we seized 1.25 lakh crores.
In Kerala , the Communist Party runs a racket of honesty. Money of poor and those who are salaried is kept in cooperative network, so that the money will be use for daughter`s marriage and son`s house when they grows up. But what kind of people are these, they have swindled this money in the name of their personal business partnership and they have done a fraud of thousands of crores.
You people are afraid of the Kerala file (film) but you can work on this. Now there is a trail in it. The money that they kept and somebody`s money got lost, now we have seized the property. I want to know how I got cash from that property and how I returned that money by investing. Till now I have returned 17000 crore rupees whose trail was found.
Now Lalu ji has got the land written in his name when he was the railway minister in exchange for giving jobs to poor people, so trail is found but poor is afraid of giving affidavit. Now that poor man is not ready to give the trail due to fear. But they are getting the trail because his land was lost on this date. I am trying to think of making a deal of it and returning the land to that poor, so I am putting a lot of mind in this because I feel from my heart that these people have looted poor`s money by misusing their position. They should get it.
Sweta Singh: Making Changes
PM Modi: I will have to. If I have to make legal changes, I will do it. I am taking the help of the legal team right now because I told the people of the judiciary that tell me at night what do with the keeping money lying around. The new “Nyay Sahinta” we brought has some facilities. When I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, in Bhavnagar A very large quantity of black jaggery was caught, it meant for making illegal liquor. Now it is kept in the police station. Even if it rains, mosquitoes and flies will come. It has become difficult to pass through that road. Now the law says that you cannot do remove this, so face the consequences.
Anjana Om Kashyap: Your track record of ten years says that as you just talked about the fact that if someone has given land in bribe, we will work to get it back. You have a very big scheme for the beneficiaries. When the beneficiaries get the land, no one looks at whether they are Hindu, Muslim or from which community, so there is secular rule in the country prevails. But if this is so then in the election rallies, why do you need to bring in Mangalsutra, infiltrators, more children. the opposition repeatedly attacks you on this issue that in the campaign you do hindu-muslim
PM Modi: You have asked a very good question and I want to explain this properly. They say this. You went completely on communal agenda. And I exposed it. I ripped it apart. I accused it. So the actual issue was removed by their ecosystem. You people also live under the pressure of the ecosystem that even you don’t touch it. Then you take my words and run with it, then you think that I said ‘Muslim Muslim’, but that is not the issue. The issue is that they have written in their Manifesto that now they bring minorities in the contract system. The contract will be given to the minority, and if I oppose the system, then I am doing that secularism. But just because I am having to use the term minority, ‘Muslim’ you think I am attacking them but I am not attacking them. I am targeting those political parties who are destroying India’s secularism. Who are doing politics of appeasement, destroying the spirit of the constitution of the country -- now I have proof that I do not do it, because I say 100 per cent saturation? Imagine seven hundred people live in a village and there are hundred beneficiaries of a certain scheme, then they should get it. Then whether this caste gets it or not. Yes, it is possible that someone will get it on Monday or Wednesday. Someone will get it in January, someone will get it in July, but everyone should get it, so there should not be any discrimination among the governance. You see the entire debate, from our side, we have not said anywhere what is Hindu Muslim. We are explaining to the people their manifesto. Now we do not hesitate in that. If we call a Muslim a Muslim, then who knows, we will be labelled. I am explaining to the Muslims that they are making a fool out of you for 75 years, why are you being a fool and I tell the intelligent Muslims, just understand brother, what did you get? Well, they took over the country on the basis of religion. Will that run the country? Don't they want an administrator? Don't they want a doctor? They don't want an engineer. If you are a doctor, you will have to take up the post. Yes, if you are an engineer, you will have to wear some paper on your hand. This is what I want to say to the Muslims.
Anjana Om Kashyap: they are listening and voting for the BJP
PM Modi: the habit of doing things for votes should be DONE AWAY within the country. Will you do everything for, not for country? I am against doing things for power, whatever I do, I will do it for the country. Note is the by product, cannot let down the country for votes and I do not want such power which ruins my country. I do not accept such power,
Rahul Kanwal: so you said you will never do Hindu Muslim.
PM Modi: I never done Hindu-Muslim and will never do it. But if I say that triple talaq is wrong, then I am anti-Muslim. If you label me like this, then it is your compulsion, not mine.
Sweta Singh: An attempt was made to label Kashmir the same way when Article 370 was repealed. Modiji, I have covered Kashmir even before 2014 and even after that. And not just one city and downtown but even up to the border where people felt that they are getting included, they are joining the mainstream, then Article 370 came. There has been no stone pelting since then. There was no strike. What amazing voting happened in Srinagar this time, but there is a very big group that says that tell me, they have taken away our statehood. Would you like to say something to the people of Jammu and Kashmir?
PM Modi: First of all, I would have liked to have asked my questions in this election, but you people did not ask. But I have taken out my subjects, so I also create questions from them. I answer them. In this entire election, which is the moment of satisfaction for me? For me, the moment of satisfaction is the voting of Srinagar because it has given a stamp on this point. My policies are right. I do not discriminate. My government does not discriminate on the basis of religion. As far as the fear of the state is concerned, we have promised in the parliament and we are committed to that. Yes, we want to succeed. Not in political power, but in situations. And what abuses we used to face earlier. You shut down the internet, we used to go to all the media. You people used to meet in meetings, but you shut down the internet. What kind of democracy is this, we were abused, but I have done good for Kashmir. I could see the long distance. You used to watch the channel 24 hours a day. I used to look after the country and that is why even after facing abuses on the internet, by shutting down the internet, I was successful in saving the youth from the wrong path. Secondly, I am satisfied now take ten years' time, think about it, from 2004 to 2014, how many mothers would have lost their children. From 2014 to 2024, how many mothers' sons were saved. What can be more satisfying than this in life? And that is why the state is also our own Commitment. We will do whichever way is possible for success. I would like to grow wheat crop but if I do it in the right season, I will get wheat. If I do not do it in the right time, then my seed will also get wasted.
Rahul Kanwal: my father was the in the army. Since childhood we have been visiting Kashmir during every summer and winter vacation. This time when I went to cover the elections, I saw that campaigning was going on in places like Baramulla and Anantnag. People were joining the celebration of democracy where earlier when an army vehicle used to pass by, people would look up so that bullets don't fire from the window. There leaders are campaigning in the open. Lal Chowk is open till 9-10 pm at night. Shops are open, shopping is going on. What next for Kashmir?
PM Modi: First the media should accept it. When I am sitting in front of you, I am not saying this to you. I want to say this to your entire community. I had a program a few days ago. Such a big rally was held in Jammu Kashmir after perhaps forty years. What was the matter, they brought government officials and made it bigger. Do you want to do good for the country or not? Now their mouths will be shut when tomorrow someone will see forty percent voting and they will say, Sir, my wish is that the election should be stable. I was not watching the election after going there. There was a festive mood in Srinagar, people were serving tea. People were clapping. People were singing songs, that is, it was a day for me.
Rahul Kanwal: Prime Minister ji, you always say that you are very close to the Sikh community. There is a picture of the Golden Temple where you are sitting. But it is also true that your popularity in Punjab is less than in the rest of the country and many people in the Sikh community look at you with suspicion. You recently went to Kanpur, you went to Patna, there you bowed your head in the Gurudwara. Do you think that there is a distance and perceived gap between Your efforts, your thinking, your intentions and the way that community looks at you and how do you find the success to bridge the gap.
PM Modi: I don't know what information you have about it exactly. If you look at it in terms of elections, then I have no answer. I have out of it. It would be better if you have a Punjabi channel or Punjabi people analysis this. So let's see what have been the basic issues of the Sikh community of this country. And which government has addressed those issues and how? And then take out the list and you will give me hundred marks out of 100. Now it is possible that I could not reach them. I have worked in Punjab. I have lived in Punjab for years. And during the emergency, I used to live in the guise of a Sikh. I was underground so I used to live in the guise of a Sardar and I was comfortable. I lived here in Delhi, even then sometimes I used to go to eat langar. Not because its free, it’s my devotion rather, I still believe that sikh have made a very big contribution to the country. Even today, wherever they are, it is unfortunate that crime has spread a lot in Punjab, otherwise they are a society with a disciplined life. We should be proud, such was the time. Whether they accept me or not, what can I say about that.
Sweta Singh: I want to come to the topic of women because there are many things that were done in the 26th January parade. Initially it was said that only indications are being given that at the time of flag hoisting a female officer will be standing with you but gradually we have seen the deployment of entire platoons of women across the LOC. You have given a lot of importance to the women of your cabinet in the Parliament but the reality is that there is 33 percent reservation whose effect will be seen after a few days. There is a male dominated political system, so is the Parliament. How do you see that changing? Do you see women coming there in such large numbers?
PM Modi: Firstly, you must have seen one of my works in G 20. Even in the western countries, people are thinking this is a very big thing. When I say that here, PREGNANT women have 26 weeks of leave. Then they look at me AND IT DOESN’T GO DOWN THE DRAIN. Here, a perception has been created that women in India are domestic. You can see the family of India. Even today, I say that sixty percent of them are WOMEN in the agriculture sector. They do that but now the image of our country has not been made. The right thing has not reached the people. Even today, fifteen percent of the commercial flight pilots in the world are women pilots from India. Now, this would not have happened overnight. Therefore, to say that this is happening with the women of India, then we have become victims of the kind of thinking that has been formed about family and business. But I believe that how should we move ahead,? Firstly, we need to break the psychological barrier. It EGYPT President was sitting with me on 26 January. President said to me, West talks about women empowerment but I see women empowerment only. He is from Muslim country though.
Secondly, in G 20, I brought up the topic of women led development, this is a very psychological barrier. If women work in our country, what do they do? All the public rallies of my party are being conducted by women. This is my party`s decision. Secondly earlier what is the work of village women SHG (Self-help group) ? To make papad, Badi, soap, agabatti and sell it. I made them drone pilot. Some of them told me they never rode a bicycle. Today the whole village knows me a drone pilot.
When I was in Gujarat, I decided, if there is a government, what does it mean? Policemen USED TO BE SYNONYMS OF the government. I want to change this psychology, so I told the Anganwadi and Asha workers that the government will provide uniforms. That is why they voted for me and informed me. I called the fashion designer. I said I want good clothes better than the air hostess. This is for the Anganwadi workers and I did it and then what did I do. Whenever the Chief Minister or any minister goes, Anganwadi workers should be there in the reception. The situation of the village became such that Anganwadi Asha workers are standing, it means the government is standing. This is my commitment, you can see the dairy work. When I was in Gujarat, I decided that The money of the milk will not go to the men. Women's account will be opened, it will go to their account and daily two thousand crore rupees are delivered. Daily two thousand crore rupees and the money goes to the women's account, I have just started a dairy in Kashi. I said the dairy will start only when the money goes to the women's account. They rear the cattle. They take care of the milk. They fill the milk and someone else take the money, I said this will not work. When I built earthquake houses. In Gujarat, the houses built by the government, I said that they will be given only in the name of women, and when I came here and built four crore houses. I said the first one will be of the woman. Then I made a rule that when a child gets admitted in the school, the father's name is written, I said the mother's name will also be written. I have made these changes. Today the mother's name is also there. In the school, there is not only the father's name with the child. So your thought process works for you. You have to bring this power from the bottom, small. When power comes from the bottom, then you get it at the top. I did one thing, it is very interesting to listen to. But I will not be able to show it to the media.
I went to Gujarat as a new Chief Minister. So Panchayat elections were held. There was elections for fifteen hundred Panchayats. I did not pay much attention as I was busy with the earthquake work. After becoming the Chief Minister, one day I got a chance that all the members of the Panchayat of Kheda District village want to meet me. I said ok. Please introduce me to the Panchayat Minister, they must have some work. They said that all the members are women. The village decided that this time the Pradhan is a woman, so make the number also a woman, then they said that there is no Male, so those women want to meet, so I agreed. I said call him, there is a village near Dakor.
Eleven member women group came and the one who became the Pradhan had probably studied up to the 8th standard. The rest were not educated. So I asked him what work they had come for. She said no, we all women have come to greet you when we get elected. Was there any other work also? I said what will you do if you get five years? What wish do you have in your mind? What the Pradhan told me, no other economist in the world could tell. That Pradhan told me that Sambhar village is small and my wish is that in five years there should not be a single poor person in my village left. That Pradhan has the understanding of the economy. I got an idea from her and then when the elections came I said we will make the village prosperous. I was familiar with this because Vinoba Bhave had one associate named Doctor
Dwarka Joshi who was from my village and he, his wife Ratan behan, were social worker. They had spent their lives with Vinobaji. So I had heard his speech in my childhood. I don’t remember whether I heard Vinobaji, or Dwarkadas Joshi.
I did not remember but in my childhood I had heard that every time Lok Sabha elections are held, then there is no mutual hatred. Even when there is a Assembly election, it does not happen. So when there is an election in the village, the village gets divided. The daughter also said that she is sent back from her in-laws because she didn`t vote for someone, so she said that there should be a unanimous election in the village. I had heard this in my childhood,. My brain started working, so I made a scheme Samradh Gaon(prosper village). The village which will hold the election by consensus, I will give five lakh rupees to that village for development because my printing, minting and all the expenses were covered. Then I thought, the village which will elect all the women, I will give seven lakhs. Then I said that if all the women in the village will be women, then the government officers there will also be women. If possible, the police also. I will keep women there and I will also pay them and till Tehsil level. After this 45% villages started having consensus. And this is continuing even now also.
There are many villages where when there is a woman Pradhan then the village decides that all the women should be there and let me tell you that they perform so well. Small things have to be done.
I remember the day the Obama came, all the women were standing in Rashtrapati Bhawan to honour them, the ones who lead them also also a woman. Obama asked all women and I said yes, I know how I want to showcase my country at right my place.
Rahul Kanwal: Hamari best anchors yahan…
Sudhir Chaudhary: look here also we have 50% women and 50% men..
PM Modi: actually when I call it developed India, I see two principle foundations of developed India - one is Eastern India where there is a lot of wealth. But Poverty is the highest in my eastern Uttar Pradesh, my Bihar, Jharkhand, Bangal, and Odisha. If I take it on par with the West in terms of strength, means Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Punjab, they all are prosperous. It is my nature and secondly, the power of my women. These are the two areas in which I see a lot of potential and I am absolutely convinced that this will give me success in 2047, and this is what will give me results. And I will get it.
Anjana Om Kashyap: Next question to you because earlier it was believed that women will vote for whatever the man in the house says. But now women use their own minds and I also went to Basirhat, Baramati, Garhwal and families are fighting over it also because women they are voting somewhere else and husband voting somewhere else. But is it really happening because of this? All the political parties are trying to get women towards themselves and wherever they want. How do you understand this?
PM Modi: This is not a women's issue. Should political parties empty their coffers to win elections? Do I have the right to loot the treasury? I have rights to make plans /schemes for empowerment, but is it correct if I waste money for the sake of election. Is it appropriate? And we have examples of the countries in the world where this has happened. Now see what happens. You build a metro in a city. And to win the election in the same city, you say that you will give women free ride in the bus. That means you are taken away fifty percent of your metro passengers. So metro will be viable. Now the metro will be built in the future. The concern is that it will not be built, no one discusses this concern with this understanding. Now we also get into political arguments. I am not doing that. I will talk about what happened because of this. You have messed with traffic and environment too. You have made it free and here you emptied the metro as well. Now how will the metro move forward? How will the country move forward?
Rahul Kanwal: If we step out of politics for a minute and talk about global order, the eyes of the world are on India and its elections. At this time, the fight between Russia and Iran is going on. It is not coming to an end. The fight between Israel and Hamas is going on. Tension with Iran is increasing. In the last five years, India's comprehensive national power has grown a lot. India has moved from the number eleven economy to the number five. What do you think will be India's role at the global high table in the next five years?
PM Modi: Why do we see things in this way? What is the basic thing? Till now what we used to think, what was our narrative? We are so far away from this, we are so far away from that. That is, seeing us maintaining equal distance, it used to be used in diplomatic language. I said nothing to do. My language is how close we are. So the world is competing how to how to come closer, before staying away. When it changed, everyone is competing to come closer. Now see, yesterday a very big decision of mine was made in Iran. It is the headline of India. It is all over the TV media for 24 hours. And my minister was out yesterday. He was in Iran, my final agreement of Chabahar port was done, and it is a very big work which has been done. But now I don't know what happens here, if the Chabahar agreement is signed in the middle of all these fights. Secondly, we will not make our decisions on the basis of any party or the second or the third party. We will make decisions for ourselves. If I feel bad, or what if you will not like it. I will talk to everyone. If President Putin praises me a lot, it does not mean that I cannot meet President Putin and tell him that it is not the time for war, then he will also respect me. I have at least one friend who tells me clearly that this is right, this is wrong. Ukraine also has the same trust in me, on India. That India will say the correct thing and till now we just said what is correct till date.
It was the month of Ramadan in Gaza, so I sent my special envoy to Israel and asked to convey and explain the Prime Minister that at least do not carry out bombing in Gaza during Ramadan. And they made every effort to follow it. In the end, there was a fight for two-three days. But I had sent a special envoy.
Here you keep on cornering me on the Muslims issue but, I didn`t publicize it. Some others (COUNTRIES) have also tried and they may have got the results too. I have also tried., I went to Israel but what was the fashion before? Go to Israel, Go to Palestine. Do secularism and come back. But I said nothing will do. I went to Israel, I will come back. I do not need to pretend, if I went to Israel. When I got to Palestine, it will be a standalone visit. I did not go before, see the fun, when I went this time, I was to be taken from here to the places where helicopters would take me further, and then the President of Jordan came to Know that I am not going to go over the Jordan.. Now he is the Prime Minister directly from Mohammed Saheb. He is his direct heir. He said, Modi Ji you cannot go like this. You are my guest and will use my helicopter. I have gone to his home for dinner, but helicopter was of Jordan, destination Palestine and I was escorted by Israeli flight. You see, in the world, all three are different but for Modi all are together in the sky. I believe that all this happens when your intentions are good. If I need Oil from Russia for my country , I will take it and I don`t hide it either. it is not done secretly, I tell America by telling them, , my country needs petrol at cheap rates., so I don't hide it and I follow the rules of my country in my time.
Sudhir Chaudhary: Sir, you are not only the most popular leader of India, but now you are the most popular leader of the world as well. And to remain on top, as they say in English, always stays on top, and to remain on top has its own pressure. Do you ever feel that pressure? When you discuss about exams, you tell the children how to keep stress away. Do we ever feel such pressure with you as well?
PM Modi: yes. What happens is that your problem is that you have lived in that world. You have grown up so you have examples for everything from that world. I am not a person of that world, you should consider me a different case. Whatever things you see in practical life, I am above that. And hence there is nothing in my life, whether Modi is sitting here or Modi has become a leader or India has become ……... I am probably the means. And hence please and I am indifferent, nonchalant v. Nothing to do with it.
Sudhir Chaudhary: You think like a sanyasi
PM Modi: I am again a human being. I am indifferent, nonchalant. I have nothing to do with it.
Rahul Kanwal: Prime Minister ji, all the people who are watching this interview till date will agree with me. It was a very solid interview. Meaning, all the difficult questions that could have been asked to you were asked to you.
PM Modi: I have a complaint with you all, these difficult words are not yours. One ecosystem has kept you afraid and scared. And you are sitting like a coward. You are roaming around with the question to set their agenda. You may feel bad if I tell the truth that all of you are living under pressure and I agree that when I also go then at least I ask the journalists about their wellbeing etc. I don’t indulge in conversation of serious nature. (Serious sawal jawab nahi karta hun, sirf puchta hun) I ask them, but there is something else lying in their hearts. Their experiences are something else. But these ecosystem has raised some question answer in a way that you are not a journalist or neutral until you ask them. I also have to get you out of this problem. And I am working on it.
Rahul Kanwal: you were the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Many times we got your interview? Now that you have become the Prime Minister, you don't do the press conference and vwe get very opportunity to interview you. People ask now when modiji can answer all question why doesn`t he hold press conference. So why don't you do it?
PM Modi: First thing is that if maximum people watch me in this election, they will watch me on Aaj Tak. I have never refused to do it. Second thing is that mostly media has been used here and a culture has been formed. That, don’t do anything, just handle them and tell your point, it will work in the country. I don't want to go on that path.
I have to work hard. I want to go to the poor's house. I can also cut ribbons and get my photo taken in Vigyan Bhavan. I don't do that. I go to a small district of Jharkhand and work for a small scheme. I have brought a new work culture. If that culture feels right, then the media should present it correctly, if not, then they don't. Second thing is that I answerable to the parliament. I am ready to answer all questions.
The third thing I want to say is that media today is not what it was before because earlier I used to talk to Aaj Tak but now the viewer’s know who I am talking to, Rahul? Rahul tweeted this day before yesterday. Meaning, he writes in Modi's name. Meaning, he will talk about the same thing. So today media is not a separate entity.
Like many others, you have also made your views known to people, so that situation has not arisen for you. Earlier media was a faceless, it had no face. Who writes in media, what are the views of the writer? People used to believe that its analysis, but today the situation is not the same. Third thing is that earlier communication was their only source, you could not go without media. Today if you want to talk to the public, communication is two way. Today public can also make its voice known without media. Even a person who has to answer can express his views well without media. Thirdly, when I was in Gujarat, I used to have public meetings. So in public meetings I used to ask. I used to try like this, then I would ask why you have made such a program. No black flags are visible. Hey, keep two-three people with black flags, then it will be published tomorrow. Modi ji had come here. If ten people showed black flags, then at least it will be known THAT Modi ji had come. Who will ask about my meeting without black flags? I gave such speeches for ten years? I had a daily programme in Gujarat. One day people from a village came to meet me. They came to thanked me. They said that our village now has 24 hour electricity. Then anyone was allowed entry to my place on Tuesday. At my place in Gujarat, I said that its not possible to have 24 hour electricity as I didn’t not read the news anywhere. I said you are lying, there cannot be 24 hour electricity, tell me sir, I said I have not read in any newspaper that it has been 24 hours in your place, it neither came on the radio nor on the TV nor in the newspaper. No, he said sir, the radio and the newspaper people will not tell you. It has been 24 hours, it has happened. Then I said lets have sweets.
Sudhir Chaudhary: I will remember your one liners.
Anjana Om Kashyap: how do you want to leave your legacy
PM Modi: I was asked a question few years back in UK. I AM SURPRISED why a person who is living for the country think about himself would. I believe that I don't work for anyone to remember me in history. If anyone remembers me, then remember the democracy that happened in my Kashmir`s voting of 40% after forty years. People should celebrate democracy festival. If People wants to remember india`s role in G 20, they can remember that. Some can also remember that My India is going to become the 3rd economy in the world. People like me will come and go.
Anjana Om Kashyap: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that he does not discriminate on the basis of religion, but he will not allow reservation on the basis of religion. And when there is politics of appeasement, he will not hesitate to say anything against the opposition,. Thank you very much Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, you took a lot of time to give us this interview amidst your busy schedule.
PM Modi: thanks a lot
