RS: But it is also true that you got Amitabh Bachchan for promotion and marketing.
Modi: This is true...
RS: It's the same Amitabh who was once a part of Congress and then SP...?
Modi: There is difference between Modi and others. He is indeed close to Mulayam Singh Yadav. He is from UP and thus he has his attachments. But Mulayam Singh used him. He used him in his election campaigns with the slogan - “UP mein hai dum, zulm hai kam”. But that didn't work.
Amitabh's role needs to be reflected with intellect. I used him to talk about Gujarat and not of Gujarat government. He advertises Kutch, its handicraft and lifestyle. So if I have that thought, that is my work. I use Amitabh Bachan as a productive resource for the welfare of Gujarat. It's been around 5 years that he's been working with me. Neither he has ever spoken about politics and nor have I. And today let me clarify, when I had given him the proposal that I wanted to promote tourism in Gujarat, he said, “I give you my voice and my face, you may use it”. He refused to take money from me. He does not take a single rupee for promoting tourism in Gujarat and for this I am extremely grateful to him.
RS: We thought he must be earning a lot from your Government.
Modi: I'm a “pakka Ahmedabadi” (pure Ahmedabadi). Our specialty is to find someone on whom we have least expenditure. We believe in single fare, double journey. We don't give money to people easily.
RS: If you don't give then why is it being said that you gave cheap land to Tata, Adani and other builders?
Modi: All these accusations are influenced by politics. Our Congress friends keep bringing up such issues. I say, is the Government of India asleep? Isn't it its responsibility to reprimand a Chief Minister if he is involved in such malpractices? Why aren't they taking any action?
This means that they don't have courage to do even that. Secondly, as far as land allocation is concerned, the Supreme Court has said that the policy of Gujarat government is so good that all States must implement that model. Thirdly, a lie that is circulating is that Nano was given land. In reality, Nano was not given a single inch land from the State government. No agricultural land was given to Nano.
RS: But there are accusations that farmer's lands were seized and given to Nano?
Modi: These people don't know anything. The Supreme Court has given approval. We had given land to the industries on more than the market rate. Not the present market rate, but the rate that existed then. Gujarat is a policy driven state. Even if you go there, you will get the same benefit that the richest man of India will get.
