‘BJP Will Win Big From Kutch to Northeast’: PM Modi to CNN News18

PM Modi also spoke about the Congress’ manifesto, the nationalism agenda and India’s relationship with China.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

(Photo: Reuters)

A day after announcing the BJP manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an interview to CNN News 18, said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will come back to power at the Centre with an even bigger majority in General Elections 2019, riding on “a wave across the nation, from Kutch to the Northeast”.

Speaking to Network 18 Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Modi noted, “The BJP will expand its footprint across the country. We will maintain our hold where we had won the most and boost our vote share. Where we lost one or two seats, we will make gains.”

On Congress’ Manifesto

Attacking the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party, the prime minister said the nationalism is not just about sloganeering but also about improving the lives of 1.3 billion people of India. Modi said the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) will continue to shield the Indian security forces fighting terrorism in Kashmir. He attacked the Congress for promising to repeal the AFSPA in its manifesto.

“Removing AFSPA from J&K is the same as sending our soldiers to the gallows. I will never let this happen to our soldiers.”

Tearing into the Congress’s flagship scheme, Nyay, Modi said, “Their main slogan for this election is 'Ab Hoga Nyay'. This means that they agree that in 60 years of their rule they have done ‘anyay’ (injustice). What about justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the victims of triple talaq, the farmers of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh who were promised loan waivers? You promised them justice in just 10 days. It has been 100 days now. In the name of the Samjhauta case, you coined the term 'Hindu terror' to link Hindus to terrorism. This nation’s Hindus are asking for justice. They want to know why they were branded terrorists. PV Narasimha Rao is asking for justice. Congress did not allow his body in the party office even though he dedicated his life to them. His soul is asking for justice.”

On Balakot Strikes

On the demands for proof of Balakot strike, Modi said that it was a “cause of concern” that the Opposition keeps talking in the “same language as Pakistan”. He added that it was Pakistan’s DG-ISPR General Asif Ghafoor who tweeted about the attack first at 5 am. “We did not claim to have attacked Pakistan first, they did.”

On Mayawati Urging for Muslim Votes

Modi alleged that the “secular brigade and the award wapsi” gang were behaving in a hypocritical manner by remaining silent on BSP supremo Mayawati’s comment urging Muslims to vote for the BSP-SP alliance in UP.

Modi, during the nearly hour long interview, sought to highlight what he said was the hypocrisy of the “secular brigade and the award wapsi gang” that looked the other way when BSP supremo Mayawati openly called on Muslims to vote for the BSP-SP alliance in UP.

“It is unsurprising that Mayawati is making such statements as she is facing defeat. She is appealing to Muslims to specifically vote for her. This is a matter for the Election Commission to look into. I am more worried about the secular brigade. Why are they silent? Had someone made such an appeal to Hindus, they would have expressed outrage. The ‘award <i>wapsi</i>’ gang would have returned their awards and a signature campaign would have started. The biggest threat to India are these people who hide behind the mask of secularism.”

PM Narendra Modi

On Relationship With China

Even while noting that China has been isolated internationally for standing with Pakistan after the Pulwama attack, PM Modi said that New Delhi and Beijing have accepted they have certain "differences" but his government's objective is that the differences don't turn into disputes.

“There was a time when India had only Russia’s support on the international stage -- and the rest of the world was with Pakistan. Today, the entire situation has changed. Now only China stands with Pakistan and the rest of the world with India. We must understand this change. This is proof of our success.”

PM Narendra Modi