Came Here to Thank All, Modi Tells Press But Takes No Questions

It was BJP President Amit Shah who ended up taking all the questions at the media briefing.

PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah addressing a press conference on 17 May. 

(Photo: PTI)

Ahead of the seventh and last phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an appearance in front of the press and asserted that his government will come to power with an absolute majority, but stopped short of taking any questions from journalists.

Instead, BJP President Amit Shah, who sat beside him at the briefing held on Friday, 17 May, took all the questions that were asked.

“It will happen after a long time in the country, our government will come to power with absolute majority for second consecutive time.”

PM Modi, as quoted by ANI

The PM also pointed out how, in the last two elections, IPL matches had to be shifted out of the country. "But today, elections are going on with IPL, Ramzan, Navratri and school exams," he said.

Pointing out that he had come straight from Madhya Pradesh to meet the journalists, Modi said, "We have to impress the world with our democracy."

“During campaigning, I told people of the country ‘I am thanking you’ for your support... We ensured last-mile delivery which was a new structure of governance.”

PM Modi

He further stated that the start of an honest government started on 17 May 2014, a day after the last Lok Sabha election results were announced.

“Election results came on 16 May 2014. A huge casualty took place on 17 May 2014. Today is 17 May. People in <i>satta bazaar</i> who used to bet for Congress to win in elections faced huge losses on 17 May.”

PM Modi, as quoted by ANI

The two started addressing the press conference just 30 minutes before campaigning for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls ended.

What Amit Shah Said

At the briefing, the BJP chief was asked about the controversy surrounding the party’s candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Thakur.

“Our <i>‘satyagrah’</i> is against a fake case of fake <i>bhagwa </i>(saffron) terror. I want to ask Congress, some people were earlier arrested in Samjhauta Express case, who were related to LeT. (But) A fake case of <i>bhagwa</i> terror was made, in which the accused have been acquitted.”

Amit Shah

On Thakur's statement on Nathuram Godse, whom she hailed as a "deshbhakt", Shah said the party has served her a show-cause notice and asked her to reply within 10 days. "After she files a reply, the party's disciplinary committee will take appropriate actions," he added.

In the aftermath of the violence between BJP and TMC workers in Kolkata, Shah said:

“Eighty BJP workers have been killed in one and a half years. What does Mamata Banerjee have to say about this? If we were responsible for this, why didn’t violence take place anywhere else?”

Amit Shah

Hailing the incumbent government, the BJP president said, "I am happy that people have accepted the Narendra Modi project."

He asserted that the Modi government will come to power again with an "overwhelming majority".

“We started our election campaign from 16 January... Our target was to win 120 Lok Sabha seats which we couldn’t win the last time. We are confident that we’ll receive good results.”

Amit Shah

"People have been ahead of even us in their determination to form a Modi government once again," he reportedly added.

The media briefing came just hours after PM Modi, in an interview to a news channel on Friday slammed Pragya Thakur for "insulting Bapu" and hailing his assassin Nathuram Godse as “deshbhakt”.