Let me start by correcting Arnab.
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To a query about whether the prime minister has become self-aware, he said: “I am not conscious”. I was not a member of a political family.
He said the revenue department will soon unveil a mechanism to keep track of undisclosed income.
Two months after the controversy, the Prime Minister has opened up on his views about the crisis. He should have taken stock of his electoral promises and deliveries, achievements and failures.
On why he has gone out of his way to engage with Pakistan, Modi said that he wants to make India’s position clear to the world that New Delhi is not the “obstacle” to peace, and this puts Pakistan on the back-foot.
But these questions were either not touched or asked in such a polite manner that it sounded like a student putting questions to his teacher.
“At present, when the model code of conduct comes into force, even those areas where it is not applicable suffer”, the Prime Minister said. Rather than giving sermons, he should have acted. The Prime Minister reviewed the progress of vital infrastructure projects in the road, railway, power, coal and mining sectors, spread over several states including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar, Odisha, and Uttarakhand. Your approach is proactive.
“You have a very aggressive foreign policy”. On some issues, it’s a question of principles for them.
“I have personally met and talked to opposition leaders, important people of our government also talk to opposition”. You were laughing and cracking jokes while you delivered the speech, which was very unique. When India took up the global solar mission and 122 nations joined it, the island nations benefitted the most out of it. They are 50 in number now.
“We formed an SIT immediately after coming to power, the previous government had delayed it for three years, despite Supreme Court’s verdict”.
“We see no merits in the contention raised”, a bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur had observed, dismissing the Mumbai Cricket Association and Maharashtra Cricket Association’s appeals against the high court order. “He is actually talking like former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh”.
If the prime minister had intended it as a PR exercise this surely was a poor one at that.
On hotheads triggering communal tensions, he said that the media should not make heroes out of those people.
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“Prime minister Narendra Modi, how much is politics playing on your mind?” “Whether it is someone from my party or not I believe such things are inappropriate”, said Modi, adding that anybody who believed they were bigger than the system was wrong. However, Modi’s words, tone and tenor didn’t particularly indicate that he was joking. Even if there are two opposing countries, they will have to be friends.
