Bhubaneswar: Indicating implementation of the One Nation, One Election and Uniform Civil Code plans if he returns to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said his government fulfils promises made in the BJP’s election manifesto.
In an interview to PTI, the prime minister said he has added 25 more days to the 100-day plan for his next term to seek suggestions from the youth of the country on what they expect from the government immediately after coming back to power.
Before the Lok Sabha elections were announced, Modi had asked all ministries to prepare a 100-day plan for the implementation of projects for the next government.
“And now, I have added 25 more days to this plan, where I would take the suggestions of India’s Yuva Shakti. What do they expect us to do the first thing after coming back to power? It is ultimately their expectations that I am here to fulfil and how they want the nation to develop,” he said.
Asked whether One Nation, One Election and a central law on UCC would be part of the 100-day exercise, Modi said these were part of the BJP’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections and “one thing you would appreciate and that is we fulfil our manifesto promises”.
“If you had observed me and my working style, you would have known that this is not the first time that I have entered the election fray with the vision for the first 100 days of the new government. I have been practicing this since the time I was the chief minister of Gujarat,” Modi said.
He said he had a plan in mind even in 2014 and 2019 and the government went into action mode the day it assumed office.
“In 2019, in the first 100 days of our government, monumental steps such as abrogation of Article 370 happened and the law against triple talaq was passed,” he said. “Similarly, this time too, we have already begun planning for the first 100 days of our third term. The plan, which will commence after June 4, would ensure timely and impactful decision-making,” Modi said.
“We are going to waste no time and jump straight into action. This is the speed at which our government works. We have always believed in forward-thinking and strategic planning,” the prime minister said.
Often the Opposition target for his sartorial choices, PM Modi said the biggest allegation he faced in his political career was that he owned 250 pairs of clothes.
Modi told PTI that the allegation was levelled by Congress leader and former Gujarat chief minister Amarsinh Chaudhary and which was countered by him at a public meeting.
“I asked the people whether they wanted a chief minister who stole Rs 250 crore or one who had 250 pairs of clothes. The people of Gujarat responded in one voice that a chief minister with 250 pairs of clothes will be fine,” Modi said, adding that the opposition never garnered any courage to level accusations.
Describing himself as a doer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the perception of Brand Modi is the outcome of the trust of the people he has gained in his over two decades of public life.
The Prime Minister said he will do whatever it takes to achieve the goal of making India a developed nation by 2047.
He was replying to questions on the longevity of ‘Brand Modi’ and whether he saw himself becoming the prime minister in the ongoing elections as well as in 2029.
“I was not born to become someone. I was born to do something. It is my mission to turn my country into a developed nation (Viksit Bharat) by 2047. I have to do something and I keep doing whatever it takes to achieve this,” Modi said. He said ‘Brand Modi’ worked because there was no conscious effort in building this brand.
Modi also said he has never uttered a word against minorities, and the BJP has “not just today but never” acted against them. He, however, made it clear that he is not ready to accept anyone as “special citizens”.
He also said the Congress has constantly violated the secular spirit of the Constitution, and his campaign speeches are aimed at exposing the Opposition parties’ bid to appease minorities with vote bank politics.
Modi said the makers of India’s Constitution, including B R Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru, had decided there will be no reservations on the basis of religion. “Now you are turning away from that. It is my responsibility to expose them. At that time there were no members of my party in the Constituent Assembly. It was an assembly of eminent people from across the country.”
He was again asked if he had never meant to target the minorities in his election speeches, to which he said, “BJP has never been against minorities. Not just today but never.”
He was also asked if he really believes the Congress will actually give away the Hindus’ wealth to Muslims, or if it was just a campaign pitch.
“It is not the question of me thinking that way. To campaign without any logic is a sin. I have never committed such a sin nor will I want to. Such an illogical campaign has been done by them (opposition),” Modi said.
He acknowledged that the day the Congress manifesto came out he had said it has the imprint of the Muslim League. “Congress party should have rebutted me the same day and should have said ‘Modi ji this is not correct’.”
But because they remained silent “it seemed to me that I will have to gradually educate the people of India”, Modi said. with agency inputs