Zee Media Bureau/Manisha Singh
New Delhi: BJP`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the Congress was a sinking ship and that the days of the mother-son duo (Sonia and Rahul Gandhi) were over.
Talking exclusively to Zee News, Modi said, “When the polls were announced the Congress thought that there would be a hung Parliament. They have been saying that we will not let Modi become PM, we will back a Third Front government. From their comments it seems that they have already lost the polls and the days of mother-son duo are over.”
“The Congress realises that their ship is sinking given the kind of voting that has taken place till now. They have no agenda, so they abuse me,” he added.
The Gujarat CM emphasised that in his view the 2014 General Elections were all about “Modi versus the rest”. However, he maintained that for him it was only about good governance.
On the issue of over-whelming response that he got in Varanasi, the day he filed his nomination from there, Modi said that there was no change in his approach since the day he was anointed by the BJP as the party`s PM candidate till now.
In the views of the Gujarat CM the country was going through a phase of depression. “The people realise that something good must have happened in Gujarat, so something good can happen in the whole country too. They feel if Gujarat can come out of Bhuj earthquake, the country can also come out of this terrible phase,” he said.
He was also of the view that the country had seen bad times for ten years and the results on May 16 would bring India out of that negativity.
Modi drove home the point that he had not promised the moon to the people. “I have not promised big things to people. I have only talked about good governance and providing small things to the people like clean drinking water and toilets for women,” he said.
Lambasting the Congress for its misrule Modi said that the UPA government symbolised all things that were bad today, whether it was “misgovernance, dynasty politics, unemployment” and so on. “If we have to remove all things that are bad in this county, then we have to rid of the Congress,” he said when asked about his clarion call of “Congress-mukht Bharat”.
When asked about his thoughts on the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Modi said that it was all about `hope`. “I am a very positive person. The elections of 2014 is that of hope. Hope is a good thing. Everyone needs to be enthusiastic. Then only will we go ahead,” as per the Gujarat CM.
Regarding the evoking of his tea-seller background at rallies-after-rallies Modi said that he talked about it only when people started using abusive language against him, making it clear that he was anti-vote bank and caste politics.
On the question of Robert Vadra and his alleged land deals, the Gujarat CM steered clear of any controversy and said that he was not looking at vendetta politics, and cases of corruption would be dealt with in accordance with the law. “My party says things against anyone backed by documents and they will officially continue to do so,” he said.
He also made it clear that the RSS never interfered in the workings of the BJP and countered the question by asking as to why the media had never questioned the NAC led by Sonia Gandhi.
Answering a question on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh`s statement that the so-called `Modi wave` was a media creation, the Gujarat CM replied in a statement dripping with sarcasm, “If the PM could not see unemployment, inflation, corruption in ten years then how can he see Modi wave.”
Talking about the development in his state Modi said that Gujarat was the first country to have provided 2x7, 365 days electricity. However, he stressed that the so called `Gujarat model` could not and should not be applied in the whole of country and that it was important to tap every state`s respective strength.
Modi refused to be drawn into a debate as to what his government’s policy would be vis-à-vis United States of America and Pakistan saying that elections were not fought on foreign policy issues but on issues like price, unemployment, etc. “But in my personal capacity I feel that if you are strong then no one can stare you down. Every country should be able to see each other eye-to-eye,” he said.
Modi brushed aside the topic as to what he went through when he was repeatedly questioned on 2002 Gujarat riots and when he was asked to apologise for it. To those who felt that he was anti-minority, he said, “They should come and see the reality in Gujarat.”
Modi did not answer as to what his Cabinet would look like if he became the PM, saying, “My only mission as of now to is to make sure that the BJP and NDA win and get absolute majority.”
On a lighter note he said, “I am not a robot. I too have human failings. I too have negative aspects in my personality. But I have been associated with a lot of good people. And I try to lead my life with right values.”
