PM Narendra Modi Explains to Rishi Darda Why He Talks About Mangalsutra, Hindu and Pakistan

PM Narendra Modi explains to Lokmat Group JMD and Editorial Director Rishi Darda how it's the media that's picking up issues like Mangalsutra, Hindutva, and Pakistan while he has been speaking extensively on development made by his government

Exclusive Interview of PM Narendra Modi to Rishi Darda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speeches has created a stir among people. Many critics are up in arms against it, while many others are defending his election pitch. In his recent rallies, PM Modi has alleged that the Congress will “snatch gold and mangalsutras of women” to distribute them among Muslims and also “take away their buffaloes” if it comes to power. While he claimed to cite the Congress manifesto, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra countered Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments about the Congress robbing people of their wealth to give to "infiltrators", questioning if such a thing has ever happened in the 50-year rule of the party. As for mangalsutras, her mother's was sacrificed for the country and her grandmother's gold was donated during the war, she pointed out.

In his recent interview with the joint managing director and editorial director of Lokmat Media Group Rishi Darda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi explained why he is is raising issues like Mangalsutra, Hindu card and Pakistan in this election. PM Modi said,  if you analyse my speeches, you will find that most of it is dedicated to the work that we have done. But the media is interested in the other parts and runs their headlines based on the part where I expose the evil designs of the Congress and INDI Alliance. But I want to ask you. If Congress puts it in their manifesto that they will survey the wealth of common people to snatch it away from them, is this something I should speak about or not? If people who have been influential ministers in Pakistan support the Congress party, should this be pointed out or not? If the Congress has unconstitutionally given reservations on the basis of religion, should this be spoken about or not?

Continuing further he said, Congress manifesto has dangerous ideas. You saw their manifesto which has dangerous ideas, you know their track record of appeasement, and you are seeing how the Congress' Shahzada is speaking like a Maoist ideologue. Is it not the duty of the media to point out the problems in this? The opposition is claiming that if the BJP comes to power, it will change the Constitution. Many senior BJP leaders including you have rejected this claim. But the opposition party is continuously raising this issue. Why so? First of all, we need to understand that whatever Modi is today, it is because of Babasaheb's Constitution. Without such an empowering Constitution and without democracy, someone like me could have never risen to the post of PM. So, even if you look at it from the lens of logic, it is in my own interest that our Constitution and democracy are kept safe, which I am doing. But which is the only time that our Constitution and democracy were violated? It was under the Congress. If one speaks of dismissing state governments without any regard for democratic values or due process, the Congress party is the champion at it with nearly a 100 such instances in their name. People have not forgotten the history of the Congress. So, nobody is believing in the Congress party or INDI Alliance's propaganda against us in this regard.

PM Modi's comment that the Congress is planning to redistribute the country's wealth in favour of "infiltrators" generated a huge political row since the weekend, which has reached the Election Commission.At a rally in Rajasthan, PM Modi had said the Congress manifesto promises that if they come to power, "everyone's property will be surveyed, it will calculate gold belonging to mothers and sisters and then redistribute it". They "won't even spare your mangalsutra," he had added. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra questioned if the Prime Minister understood the importance of mangalsutra."If Modi ji had understood the importance of 'Mangalsutra', he would not have said such things. When demonetisation happened, he took away the savings of women. During the farmers' protest, 600 farmers lost their lives, Did Modi-ji think about the 'Mangalsutra' of those widows?" she said.