New Delhi: Speaking to news agency ANI about the post-Godhra riots of 2002, BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said, “I have said what I had to say. Now, I am in the people’s court, and I am waiting to hear from them, and their verdict,” he stated, adding, “If the media had not worked to malign Modi, then who would known about Modi today?”
He claimed that the 2014 Lok Sabha election would witness the worst performance of the Congress in its electoral history. “I am sure that the performance of the BJP and the NDA will be the best in their history,” said Mr Modi.
The Gujarat Chief Minister said that he would not be vindictive if his party was elected to form government at the Centre. “I do not wish to waste my time in looking into old files. I want to do good things,” said Mr Modi.
He also appeared to reject the view that Muslims were fearful of him should he come to power at the Centre, and therefore, there could be a polarisation of votes in key constituencies of the country, such as in Varanasi, from where he was contesting the polls. “I am not going to Varanasi to defeat anyone, but to win hearts. Once I meet them all, they will love me,” he said.
Responding to a question on AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s comment that editors of newspapers would flee if he became the next Prime Minister, Mr Modi replied, “For 14 years, we (the BJP) have run the government in Gujarat. I ask you, has any editor left, or has any reporter left?”
On his and the BJP’s reported differences with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK chief J.Jayalalithaa, Mr Modi said that neither Jayalalithaa nor he had made “bitter statements against each other”, and added that he did not believe there are “untouchables” in politics. “AIADMK and BJP might have different ideologies, but at a personal level, I have excellent relations with Jayalalithji,” Mr Modi said.
The reply was given in the context of Jayalalithaa recently urging voters in Karur to ensure that neither the BJP nor the Congress retained their deposits from any of the seats in the state of Tamil Nadu, targeting both on the Cauvery Waters issue.
The BJP’s PM candidate also said that it neither right for him or for Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to politicise the issue of crime against women, and the steps that needed to be taken to ensure their safety. When asked specifically about the 2009
“Snoopgate” case in which Gujarat Government is said to have intercepted telephonic conversations of a lady, Modi said, “Crimes against women is national shame. We should all work as a nation. Mr Gandhi shouldn’'t politicize it and nor should I.” On the issue of criminalisation in politics, the Mr Modi said that he was all in favour of setting up special courts under the aegis of the Supr-eme Court to try politicians accused of crime.
