Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a rare interview to news agency ANI on the eve of the first phase of voting in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a rare interview to news agency ANI on the eve of the first phase of voting in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections 2022.
Here are key points that the Prime Minister made in the interview:
* There is no anti-incumbency; there is pro-incumbency in BJP-ruled states. BJP will win in all five states.
* BJP believes in collective leadership. We have seen many defeats in the past before emerging victorious. Our effort is to be closer to the ground. We make it a point not to get carried away by victories. We are rooted to the ground. For the BJP, an election is like an open university. It is a field of education for us.
* Women feel confident under Yogi Adityanath's administration. Today, the daughter of Uttar Pradesh is saying that even after dark in the evening, if there is work, she can travel anywhere.
* Earlier, mafia leaders had a free run in Uttar Pradesh. Now mafia leaders are surrendering.
* Indian judiciary is vibrant, alert and proactive. Even in the Lakhimpur Kheri case, the state government has been transparent.
* Our nation is so vast that if we work against each other then our resources will be wasted and the pace of development of the country will be impacted. That is why it is very essential that we should do the work of welfare of the people together and do it faster.
* Dignitaries from all over the world come to India. Earlier they used to visit New Delhi and leave from there. After I took over as prime minister, I took the Chinese president to Tamil Nadu, the French president to Uttar Pradesh and the German Chancellor to Karnataka. It is our responsibility to showcase the power of the country and encourage every state.
* Once someone sent me a letter that there were 45 people from the Samajwadi Party family in Uttar Pradesh who were holding one or the other post. Someone told me that every person above the age of 25 in his entire family has been given a chance to contest elections.
* One aspect of politics is where many people from one family go to the public and they are elected by the people. The other aspect is where only the people of one family can become the party president, treasurer or parliamentary board member. It is running as a dynasty.
* Dynasties are the biggest enemies of democracy because they negate the basic principles of democracy. When the politics of the dynasty is in play, the primacy is saving the family not the country. Democratization of political parties is very necessary.
* The ethos of Congress is communalism, casteism, linguism, provincialism, nepotism and corruption. If this remains in the mainstream of this country, then the nation would suffer. Congress is responsible for the problems that the country ails from today.
* They (Opposition) were so arrogant that they used the word 'two donkeys of Gujarat'. After this, the people of Uttar Pradesh taught them a lesson. Once there were 2 boys (Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav) and an aunt (Mayawati) was also with them. Yet their political fortunes did not change.
* During the Covid pandemic, the WHO had said that people should stay whatever they are. The Congress party encouraged people to leave their homes and offered free tickets. In Delhi, the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party went around in jeeps and told people in huts that they needed to leave immediately due to the lockdown.
* I want to win the hearts of farmers. I understand the pain of small farmers. I have tried to win their hearts and they have supported me. I had, in my televised address, said that the farm laws were meant for the betterment of farmers, but I was them back in the interest of the country. Subsequent developments will reveal why there was a need for those farm laws.
* Today, BJP has emerged as the most reliable party in Punjab. Very senior people of social life, big leaders of politics have also left their old party and joined the BJP.