Similarly, as promised in our manifesto, we will start work on a High Speed Rail network. Railways have been ignored by successive Congress governments. We plan to focus on this sector and modernise it to begin a journey of transformation to take the railways at par with the most modern rail networks in the world.
To give a fillip to manufacturing, we will move towards a policy of faster and time-bound project clearances. We will try to usher in a regime of true partnership with the state governments to ensure that project clearances are given in a transparent and time-bound manner.
Q: Ahmed Patel has denied any closeness with you and has termed as "ridiculous" your contention (as reportedly told to DD News) that "Ahmedbhai is among the best friends I have in Congress..." What do you have to say?
A: I had myself said in the interview that these days Patel stays away from me. In fact, I would have been surprised if he had agreed to anything that I said. The kind of climate the Congress has created is not conducive to a healthy environment in politics. It is as if every senior leader in the Congress is under pressure to attack Modi and score brownie points with the Gandhi family.
Q: Even the outgoing Vajpayee government had exercised its prerogative of naming a new army chief. Why has the army chief's appointment become a subject of unseemly political football? There is talk in military circles that this happened because Gen. V.K. Singh, a BJP candidate in these elections, wants his brother-in-law, who is next in line, to become the army chief. Comment.
A: Your question unnecessarily politicises the armed forces. I deem it fit not to comment on this sensitive issue. I think there has been a healthy tradition of keeping the armed forces out of the political discourse. We should all work together to ensure that the armed forces are not dragged into any unsavoury controversy.
Q: The Pakistan army chief has described Kashmir as his country's "jugular vein" and said they would be prepared to deter any aggression. Their interior minister sees your rise as a "threat to regional peace". How would you respond to these provocative comments, coming as they do on the heels of a very conciliatory and welcoming remark by their new Pakistani envoy in Delhi?
