Modi interview: 'I never opposed family members entering politics'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, known to be a vocal critic of "dynasty politics", has said now he never stated that people from the same families shouldn't enter politics.

When individuals from the same family continue to hold power and deny opportunities to other intellectuals in the party, measures should be taken to curtail such practices, he said in an interview to Thanthi TV, a Tamil news channel.

Sharing his views on various issues ranging from nepotism to the Ayodhya Ram temple, ED raids, and the reasons for his frequent visits to Tamil Nadu in recent months, he said the state has decided to vote for the BJP this time.

Nepotism and democracy

Talking about dynasty politics, he reiterated that he never said people from the same family shouldn't enter politics.

"When people from the same party hold on to power and do not provide opportunities to others in the party, it should be curtailed," he said. "When those parties have no democracy in their party, they cannot run the country in a democratic manner."

On electoral bonds: 'Nothing is perfect'

Asked about electoral bonds, he said that despite criticisms and imperfections, the bonds at least provided some transparency in political funding.

"People who are protesting against the electoral bonds will soon regret it. Before 2014, there was no trail of the funds given to political parties during elections. Thanks to electoral bonds, we can now trace the source of funding. Nothing is perfect; imperfections can be addressed," he said in the interview.

'We didn't establish ED or PMLA'

When asked about the frequent raids of Opposition leaders by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Modi took a few deep breaths and moments of silence. He then said the ED functions independently. The agency's actions against violations have helped recover Rs 2,200 crore, which was used for the welfare of the poor, he added.

"We did not establish the ED, nor was it our government that introduced the PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) law. The ED is an institution that operates independently. We don’t interfere with its work. In 10 years of Congress rule, the ED seized only Rs 35 lakh. Now, it has seized black money worth Rs 2,200 crore. We do not stop them or send them for raids. Over 7,000 cases are being handled by the ED, and just 3 per cent of the cases are related to politicians," Modi said.

On federalism: 'States should build nation'

Talking about federalism, the Prime Minister emphasised that all states should grow to contribute to the growth of India.

"When I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, I worked to develop Bharat through the development of Gujarat. All the states should grow to make our country a developed nation. Every person in Tamil Nadu should work for the development of Bharat. They should dedicate themselves to this work," he said.

'Good that there's no politics over idli, dosa'

Speaking about the richness of Tamil language, food, and culture, he expressed regret that he couldn’t speak Tamil, which is dear to his heart.

"I wanted to speak in Tamil at the UN – it is one of the oldest languages. It should not be confined to one place. The importance of the Tamil language should be known to the world. I'm glad politics stops with language and hasn't touched Tamil food like idli and dosa," he said.

Noting how idli and dosa are available at Indian restaurants in various countries, he emphasised that Tamil language should also be known across the world.

On frequent visits to TN

Modi denied that his frequent visits to Tamil Nadu in recent months had anything to do with politics.

"The BJP-NDA is a robust alliance that connects different sections of society. It represents the aspirations of the people. The votes that the BJP-NDA receives aren’t 'anti-DMK' but 'pro-BJP'," he said.

"People have witnessed the work we have done over the past 10 years. Tamil Nadu has decided that this time it will be the BJP-NDA," he said.

Beyond elections

Stating that Tamil Nadu has huge potential which must not be wasted, Modi said: "If merely winning elections was my goal, I would not have worked for the development of the Northeast. I have visited Northeastern states more than all of the former Prime Ministers combined."

"I visited Tamil Nadu (frequently). But those visits had nothing to do with politics. I had visited Tamil Nadu several times earlier also," he added.

Recalling a few memorable trips and moments in Tamil Nadu, he said a farmer once gave him Rs 11 as his contribution to the Kanyakumari-to-Kashmir Ekta Yatra. He also recalled receiving blessings from relatives of freedom fighter Tirupur Kumaran.

Ramlalla's philosophy

When asked about the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Prime Minister paused for a while. He said he cannot express the philosophy of Ramlalla in words.

There are many cities and villages across India, including Tamil Nadu, which carry 'Ram' in their names, he observed, citing Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu as an example.