PM Narendra Modi
Coming down heavily on West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for using provocative words over Assam’s final draft of National Register of Citizens (NRC), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that only those who have lost faith in themselves can use such terminology.
In an exclusive interview to news agency ANI, PM Modi assured the nation that no Indian citizen will have to leave the country.
“Those who have lost faith in themselves, fear loss of popular support and lack faith in our institutions can use words like ‘civil war’,‘blood bath’ and ‘Desh Ke Tukde Tukde.’ Evidently, they are disconnected from the pulse of the nation,” PM Modi said.
“I want to assure the people that no citizen of India will have to leave the country. As per the due process, all possible opportunities will be given to get their concerns addressed,” he added.
Rejecting the opposition's charge that his govt has failed to create jobs for the youth, the prime minister said that more than 1 crore jobs have been created in the last year alone.
"...thus the campaign that jobs have not been created must come to a halt," he said.
Talking about the incidents of crime against women and incidents of lynching, PM Modi said that even a single incident is one too many and deeply unfortunate, adding everyone should rise above politics to ensure peace and unity in our society
"My party and I have spoken in clear words, on multiple occasions against such actions and such a mindset. It is all on record: PM Modi on Opposition's charge that PM is silent over incidents of crime against women and incidents of lynching," he said.
Accusing Rahul Gandhi of trying his best to provoke people against GST during Gujarat elections, PM Modi asked Congress president to ponder over why people rejected him.
Referring to the no-confidence motion brought by the opposition parties and the NDA candidate's victory in elections for the post of Rajya Sabha's deputy chairperson, the prime minister said that the results indicated that the opposition unity was falling apart.
"Outcome of these events should indicate which coalition is intact and which is falling apart. Infact,we got support even from those parties which are not our allies. BJP has consistently expanded base over recent years among people and welcomed more allies to NDA," he said.
Talking about Rahul Gandhi's acts of hug and wink in Lok Sabha, PM Modi said that one can easily judge whether it was a childish act or not?
Reiterating his commitment to the caste-based reservations, the prime minister said that nobody should have any doubts on that.
"Reservation is here to stay. Let there be no doubt about it: PM Narendra Modi on whether there are any thoughts of doing away with caste-based reservation," PM Modi said.
Calling himself a "Kaamdar", pm Modi said that it's naamdaars who decide whom to hate, when to hate and whom to ‘love’ and how to make a show of it.
"I am a humble Kaamdaar. I am nothing compared to the Naamdaars of this country, who have their own unique style of conducting themselves. They decide whom to hate, when to hate and whom to ‘love’ and how to make a show of it. In all this, what can a Kamdaar like me say?" he asked.
Answering a question on BJP's withdrawal of support from the Mehbooba Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir, PM Modi said that the decision to pull out of the government was taken as there were hurdles in fulfilling people's expectations after the demise of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
On the future of Indo-Pak relations, the prime minister said that India wishes to have good neighbourly relations with Pakistan.
"I have always said that we wish to have good neighbourly relations. We have also taken various initiatives in this regard. I recently congratulated Mr. Imran Khan on his victory in the elections," PM Modi said.
PM Modi expressed hope that Pakistan would work in the direction to make the country 'terror and violence' free under the new government of Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan.
