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.
