Opposition only wants to steal people's wealth, says Modi
Ahead of the fourth phase of LS polls, Modi hit out at the Opposition and also spoke about whether BJP will finally make a dent in south states and what his government plans to do if they return to power
In yet another acerbic attack on the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the INDIA alliance of wanting to steal the wealth of citizens, and claimed they have only joined hands to oppose Modi. All they wanted is 'Modi Hatao', he added.
In an interview to Hindustan Times ahead of the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Modi said that the Opposition’s agenda is to either snatch people’s wealth or ensure faith based reservations by denying the rights of SC, ST and OBC communities. Day and night, they abuse each other in a way even opponents don’t, he said, adding that all they want is ‘Modi Hatao’.
Further, he added in the interview that people will not fall for such regressive and communal politics.
States where BJP will gain
Asked which are the states BJP will increase their gains from their 2019 tally, the prime minister said that his party will win in all parts of the country and some of the gains will come from areas that will surprise political pundits. According to him, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala will register a significant increase in seats for the BJP.
People are fed up of corruption, dynastic politics, minority appeasement, ruining state after state wherever there is a INDIA alliance government and therefore, they want NDA again, he pointed out.
On whether the BJP wil make inroads into south India, he seemed confident of winning in Kerala and Andhra Pradesh as well. He alleged that there is a breakdown of governance, in Telangana and Karnataka, as a nexus of corruption has been established with Congress in the lead. He accused the Tamil Nadu as well of corruption and dynastic politics.
Prajwal Revanna case
In the Prajwal Revanna case, Modi said that he firmly believed that every Indian citizen is equal in the eyes of the law. “Be it Sandeshkhali or Karnataka, whoever committed such heinous acts, whether they belong to any party, must face the strictest punishment," he said, according to the HT report. Further, he pointed out that the onus lies on the state government to ensure law and order.
Election campaigns revolve around religion
Modi squarely put the blame on the Congress for bringing religion and divisive issues and agendas during campaign speeches. If the Congress party’s agenda is to take away the reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs, and give it to their vote banks unconstitutionally, on the basis of religion, then it will have to be questioned. In such a situation, being silent would be incorrect, when questioned on why the campaigns are concentrated on religion and caste, and freebies and reservation.
Growth of the BJP
Further, he said that the BJP has grown from a party which only had two members in the Lok Sabha to a party that won full majority twice and is now going to come back for a third term with an even bigger mandate. Our vision is crystal clear i.e., 24x7 for 2047, he said, quoting the report. Therefore, there is hardly any scope of complacency within the BJP, he said.
In the BJP, even a normal Panna Pramukh can become Prime Minister of the country. Being cadre-driven means that no one group or family decides the party’s future, he added.
What next for Modi
On asked what next for Narendra Modi, he replied that the last 10 years have only been a "trailer" and there is a lot to be done.
Before entering the election fray, he had asked all the government departments to prepare a 100-day plan, he said. Saying that they had their "task cut out", he said he is is committed to strengthening and structuring the GYANM model that empowers our Gareeb, Yuva, Annadata, Nari Shakti and Middle Class in such a way that they become the architects of Viksit Bharat.
Further, he added that this is going to be 'one of the most exciting periods in the history of independent India'.
In his interview, Modi also spoke about the work that has taken place in the last one decade. They have doubled the number of airports from 74 to more than 150, the length of national highways has gone up from 91,000 km to 1,45,000 km and India is dominating the real time payments globally with a lion share of 46 per cent. Our defence exports have crossed the ₹21,000 crore mark, he added.
And they have liberated the country from legacy issues. Be it huge NPAs endangering the Indian banking system or abrogating Article 370 ushering a new era of peace in Jammu & Kashmir, he said.
And that the strong economy they have built will serve as the base for India’s next 25 years. In fact, our Sankalp Patra isn’t just about the next five years. It’s about making long-lasting changes and outlining the roadmap that will lead to a Viksit Bharat by 2047, he added.