The man behind the Modi masks- I

The emerging mascot of Bhartiya Janata Party, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, does not accept that "Brand Modi" exists. Love him or hate him but there is no ignoring him, in an exclusive interview to Zeenews’s Swati Chaturvedi in `Kahiye Janaab` the Gujarat Chief Minister talks about vote bank politics, Nanavati Commission’s report, compulsory voting and more.Here are the excerpts from Modi’s exclusive interview: Swati: I waited for so long to interview you. Modi masks have become very famous in Gujarat, but we would like to know what is the real Modi is like behind the mask. Let’s try to know what is happening in the country today (at present). Nowadays our democracy has become more of vote bank politics. Is it the democracy we need and is it correct? Modi: Democracy has nothing to do with vote bank politics; it is the best system of governance in the world. But our political parties try to take advantage of democracy to get into power by using vote bank politics. Now the time has come when people of India should come together to oppose it otherwise these politicians won’t stop this (vote bank politics). Swati: So what according to you is vote bank politics? Modi: In Gujarat, whatever we do we do it for 5.5 crore Gujaratis. When our Constitution was formed, everyone had opposed reservation on the basis of religion in the House then and there was no one from RSS/VHP there. The House was formed by Gandhians and scholars. It is such a pity that even after High Court’s intervening thrice Andhra Pradesh’s government is on its way to implementing reservation in the state on the basis of religion. We give reservation on the basis of social position of castes and tribes. But according to a report, reservation is being given not only to SCs and STs but also to converted tribals. Swati:which is like giving incentives to people to convert. Modi:In India, Armymen were never questioned about their religion but the UPA govt set up a commission to do the head count of the Armymen on the basis of religion. UPA govt shunned POTA saying it is against a particular community but if POTA is anti-terrorist isn’t it anti-naxalites? What’s the religion of naxalites. Swati: Terrorists have no religion, a terrorist is a terrorist? Modi: 127 nations across the globe have strict laws against terrorists and they are all democratic nations and they all value human rights. Swati: According to a report by a Washington institute, after Iraq, India is the 2nd most affected nation by terrorism. What is your reaction to this. Modi: More Armymen have been killed by terrorists than by Pakistan’s Army in three Indo-Pak wars. We have been battling terrorism for the last 30 years, be it in Kashmir, Punjab or terrorists from Sri Lanka (if they have any role in spreading terrorism in India). Swati: Naxalites’ problem has spread to 141 districts of central India and a Cabinet minister said that all Bangladeshis in India should be given citizenship? Modi: This is the language of vote bank politics. It is such a pity that leaders like Ram Vilas Paswan and Lalu Prasad Yadav used Osama bin Laden’s masks while campaigning in Bihar Assembly elections. It is such a shame. Even my masks were used in the Gujarat Assembly elections but I am a citizen of India and have no crime against me like Osama. It is people like them (Paswan and Lalu) who have no better thing to do in politics than to get into power. Therefore, on the one hand UPA says Bangladeshis should be thrown out of the nation and on the other they are not following Supreme Court’s ruling against illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Assam. The ruling directed Centre to implement the law under Article 355 and develop a mechanism to send back illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Swati: Do you think there should be compulsory voting in India like Australia, Chile and other countries? Modi: It is such a shame that in our country an Armyman can die on the front but cannot vote. It was Atalji’s government which made efforts to allow Armymen to cast proxy votes. It is not about vote bank politics, but in democracy more and more people should participate in elections and it will bring down the cost of elections as well. As more people will vote higher would be the chances of parties getting a majority. Earlier, Lok Sabha and Assembly elections used to be held simultaneously after every five years. Now due to political reasons elections are being held in every three months in some part or the other. And under pressure governments (state or central) keep delaying big decisions owing to elections coming up in the state or Centre. As a result our economy has to suffer the brunt of it. Therefore, 5-year term must be fixed for all the elected candidates and they should be responsible to run the government for next five years by any which way. Swati: Recently, you said that money coming from Gujarat should be spent on Gujarat alone. There was a great furore over this. Congress said you had attacked the federal structure of the country and wanted to file case against you? Modi: I am still waiting for the Congress to file a case against me, but they have not done so till now which means it was a political statement. All I had said was that the Central government should give details as to how much money they receive from Gujarat and how much they pay back. Swati: A Singapore minister had asked you not to sell brand India but sell brand Gujarat. Is it true? Modi: Some people have suggested the same thing to me but I believe for India’s development Gujarat should develop. I am not only talking about Gujarat; nor will Gujarat work only for itself but for the entire country. Recently during Bihar floods Gujarat was the first to extend help. Swati: Congress says Modi wants to turn Gujarat into United State of Gujarat where Modi is the President? Modi: All I can say is Congressmen will have to read the Constitution once again.Swati: After Nanavati Commission report came out, Congress spokesperson said, "Modi should be tried for mass murder?” Modi: Congress spokesperson had said, "Had Modi been in a foreign country he would be hanged by now.” I say Congress imported their leaders from abroad and now they are importing justice much like the pre-independence era in which foreign judges used to try freedom fighters. If I am hanged then this would be a mark of my loyalty to the nation and I would be proud of it. Swati: Earlier there used to be in a limit in political dialogue, but Sonia Gandhi referred to you as a "Merchant of Death." What would you say to this? Modi: It all depends on who made that statement. Had the term been correct she (Sonia Gandhi) would have used it again but she didn’t. I don’t have anything to say against her. Swati: Before the submission of the Nanavati report you made a statement that if anything was found against you in it you should be hanged? Modi: After Gujarat riots I had written letters to the Gujarat High Court and the Supreme Court asking them to appoint a sitting judge to head the commission formed to investigate the riots. But they refused to appoint a sitting judge sighting workload on the courts as a reason. Later they suggested the name Justice Nanavati. The Nanavati Commission took six years to investigate the riots and cross examined witnesses before coming out with their report. This was the first commission which was given the right to probe a state’s Chief Minister as well as his colleagues. The report was prepared only after this. The same Justice Nanavati had headed the commission which investigated anti-Sikh riots and prepared the report. Congressmen liked that anti-Sikh riots report which gave them a clean chit but they do not like the Gujarat riots report. Swati: Congress and jurists alleged that this (Nanavati) Commission is a tainted commission and must be disbanded? Modi: Congress has no moral rights to speak against any commission when they don’t even respect Supreme Court’s rulings. Be it against Afzal Guru’s pending hanging, Shah Bano case or cow protection act. Swati: Marketing brand Modi in the state, you said I neither accept bribe nor let anyone accept it? Modi: I did not market any brand, I am accountable to the people of Gujarat as the Chief Minister of the state and have to give an account to them as to what I have done in the last five years. And the above statement was one of the things I wanted to tell the people of Gujarat. Swati: Did this statement make you unpopular? Modi: I don’t care about that. Swati: And what are the problems you faced after making this statement? Modi: Problems are part and parcel of political life. For example, earlier the advertising budget of media department of Gujarat was humongous but now I have slashed it. Wouldn’t media persons be annoyed with me? Adaptation by: Abhishek