We will return with bigger margin in 2019: Modi

Thursday 16th August 2018 02:53 EDT
 
 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is confident that BJP will win the Lok Sabha election next year by a bigger margin than in 2014, and has dismissed “Mahagathbandhan” as a failed idea that cannot succeed because people want a strong and decisive government at Centre that can perform.

In an email interview, the PM also strongly condemned mob lynchings as a crime irrespective of motives and promised to protect honest business and punish the corrupt and asserted that his government would keep its promise to complete the process of updating the National Register of Citizens in Assam. “A non-ideological alliance of desperate and disparate groups is not a ‘Mahagathbandhan’ but political adventurism,” Modi said about the proposed grand alliance of opposition parties.

Modi said his platform for the next national election would be “development, fast development and development for all.” “We will definitely get more seats than we got last time and I am confident that we will break all records of seats won by NDA in the past.”

He took on Congress over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, saying its vote-bank politics prevented it from implementing accords the party itself concluded in 1972 and 1982 when it was in office. “Congress is guilty of criminal negligence on this count,” he said.

Cow vigilantism condemned

On the concerns being raised over incidents of mob violence, including cow vigilantism, he underlined that these incidents need to be condemned in the strongest voice. “My government is fully committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting the life and liberty of every citizen... No person can, under any circumstances, take the law into his or her hand and commit violence,” he said.

Action against economic offenders

He said the government is working actively against economic absconders, and the recent law to confiscate their properties will deliver results. “Anyone who fraudulently takes public money and absconds shall not be spared,” he said.

On Congress’ allegation of corruption in Rafale deal, he said the party has concocted falsehood and is repeating it. “It is a government-to-government agreement, it is an honest and transparent deal. All else is nothing but propaganda to undermine national interest.”

On the charge that the government had failed to create jobs, Modi said more than 45,00,000 formal jobs were created between September 2017 and April 2018 and EPFO data indicate that 70,00,000 jobs were created last year. He said growth in tourism, loans under Mudra, startups and uptick in construction was bound to have created employment.


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