In his first appearance at a press conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted in opening remarks that the BJP would come back to power with a full majority on its own, but refused to take any questions, citing party discipline.
In a surprising move,Modi showed up on the dais for a scheduled press conference by BJP presidentAmit Shah, who gave a detailed report card on the performance of the NDAgovernment as well as party’s extensive electioneering.
Modi diverted questions, saying he will not answer becausethe press conference is being addressed by Shah, and in BJP’s system,discipline has to be followed.
“We are disciplined soldiers of the party. The partypresident is everything for us,” Modi said.
On the BJP’s performance, Modi said that “the electionhas been amazing (shandar). Elections were held in a positive spirit. Agovernment with full majority will come back after remaining in power for fiveyears. This is probably happening after a very long time. This is a big deal initself.”
“The public has decided on the next government. We havepromised many things in our manifesto to take the country forward. As soon aspossible, the new government will take charge and we will take decisions oneafter another,” Modi added.
He said India should impress the world with its diversityand democracy. “I believe somethings we can proudly say to the world. This is the world’s largest democracy,it is our responsibility to take the power of this democracy to the world. Weshould impress the world with the diversity of the democracy,” he said.
He said there was a time when Indian Premier League had tobe shifted out of India due to polls, but under the current government,elections can be held even when the Ramadan was being observed and Eastercommemorated.
The Prime Minister said, during the campaigning, he toldpeople that “I have come to thank you for your blessings….The countryhas always been with us. So in a way the campaigning was a way of saying thankyou to the people. Even today, I am here to thank you and thank them throughyou.”
Modi said that work to fulfill promises made in BJP’smanifesto will be started as soon as the party comes to power. “We ensured last-mile delivery which wasa new structure of governance…Our government will take up its responsibilityas soon as possible,” he added.
The Prime Minister said the journey for an honest governmentstarted on May 17, 2014, a day after Lok Sabha election results were announced.
“Electionresults came on 16 May, 2014 and a huge casualty took place on 17 May, 2014.Today is also 17 May. People in ‘Satta bazaar’ who bet for Congress to win inelections faced huge losses on May 17,” he added.
‘Can’t forgive Pragya for Godse ‘deshbhakt’ remark’
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while talking to a TV channel during his lastrally ahead of the last phase of voting in the Lok Sabha polls said that hewill never forgive BJP candidate Pragya Singh Thakur for insulting MahatmaGandhi by calling his assassin Nathuram Godse a true patriot. “Whateverhas been said about Gandhi or Godse, these kind of statements are very bad andworth contempt. In a cultured society, this type of language is notpermissible. This type of thinking won’t do,” he said.
“Therefore, those who are doing this have to think ahundred times. Though she has apologised, I wont be able to pardon her with myheart,” Modi said.
Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah had said that remarks onMahatma Gandhi’s assassin by three BJP leaders – Thakur, Union MinisterAnantkumar Hegde and Karnataka MP Nalin Kumar Kateel – were not in line withthe party’s ideology.
Shah had said the party’s disciplinary committee has soughtan explanation from them in 10 days.
During a roadshow in Madhya Pradesh Thursday, Thakur hadsaid, “Nathuram Godseji deshbhakt the, hai, aur rahenge unko aatankwadi kahnewale log swayam ki gireban me jhaank kar dekhe chunav mein aise logon ko jawabde diya jayega (Nathuram Godse was a patriot, is a patriot, and will remain apatriot and those who call him a terrorist should look within, they will get areply in this election).’The Malegaon blast accused later apologised forher statement.