NEW DELHI, Jan 21:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today rejected the notion that India was putting “so much hard work” to isolate Pakistan, asserting that his efforts were aimed at uniting the world powers to defeat terrorism as his country has been suffering from the scourge since decades.
He said the suggestion that the country’s foreign policy was based on Pakistan was wrong but stressed that the world was uniting against those sympathetic towards terrorists, an apparent reference to the neighbouring country.
“If you think we are doing so much hard work around the world to isolate one nation, then that is wrong. This is not our work. Yes, the world is grappling with the scourge of terrorism and whoever is sympathetic towards terrorists, the world is uniting against them,” he told Times Now in an interview, according to the transcript.
India’s foreign policy is issue-based and is in the context of its relations with the world, he said.
Modi also praised US President Donald Trump for raising his voice against terror with “a lot of assertion”.
“I welcome him and I respect him. Whoever takes a step against terrorism, I will welcome them and praise them, because my country has been suffering from terrorism for forty years. Innocents are being killed. Terrorism needs to end in the world,” he said.
As far as Pakistan is concerned, he noted that he had always said India and Pakistan have fought a lot and now should come together to fight poverty and diseases.
“I directly talk to the people of Pakistan. I directly tell the people, should we not fight poverty? Should we not fight illiteracy? Should we not fight diseases? If we fight together, we will win faster,” he said.
On Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praising him for his strong stance against terrorism, Modi said he was grateful to him for praising India so much and for lauding the Indian Government.
“Humanity is in great danger and to save humanity, it’s important for powers that believe in humanitarian values to unite.
“And I believe this fight is about saving humanity and nothing can be a bigger soft power than this,” Modi said.
“You have to unite those who believe in humanitarian values, only then can you isolate terrorists and defeat terrorism,” he said.
To a question about Kashmir and the appointment of the Centre’s representative for a dialogue, the Prime Minister said dialogue does take place with every Indian citizen and it will continue to take place.
“Constitution of India has given us that responsibility and we do it. There is nothing new, this has been happening, and I have even said all of this from the ramparts of red fort. There is no difficulty in it,” Modi said.
“Every Indian citizen has the right to speak to Mr Modi and say ‘Mr Modi please stand and talk to us’. We are there for those who believe in the Constitution of India and for those who live and die for the nation,” he said.
Asked about those who do not believe in the Constitution, a reference to separatists, he said, “Why will they talk then?”
Six months into the rollout and after dozens of changes, Modi said he is open to more changes in the GST to plug loopholes and make it more efficient tax.
He also attacked those opposing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying they were “insulting” Parliament.
He compared the new law with that for income tax, asking how many changes and improvements have been made in the income tax law since its inception in 1961.
“The GST too is a new system. I have been saying this since the day one that people will take some time to adjust to the new system,” he said. “We will have to improve wherever there are loopholes.”
He said a united attempt should be made to develop an efficient system even it requires six months or two years. “Everyone should attempt to deliver a product to this nation which will be useful for a longer period. This is a process and our intention is good. Our efforts are underway.”
Modi said, “We are using all our knowledge in that direction. Everyone should make combined efforts for good things. Will you only see your political greed in everything?”
The rollout of the GST, which subsumed more than a dozen central and state levies, from July 1 has been far from being smooth with problems ranging from increased tax rates on some items and services to a higher compliance burden for businesses and IT issues.
To address them, tax rates on dozens of items have been cut, compliance process eased and simpler administration introduced.
In the interview, transcript of which was provided by Times Now, Modi said no one has actually opposed the GST and everyone theoretically accepts the concept of one-nation-one- tax, which Parliament approved after debating for seven years.
Without taking any names, he said those who previously were in the Government are now “opposing the GST and are foul mouthing it.”
“They are insulting the collective strength of Parliament and they are insulting the temple of democracy. This doesn’t suit them,” he said.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi had in the run-up to last month’s Assembly elections in Gujarat, dubbed the GST as ‘Gabbar Singh-Tax’.
Modi said all political parties came together and created the GST Council, the highest decision-making body for the new indirect tax regime.
The panel has equal representation from all states and they have equal weightage as that of the Centre. All decisions are taken through consensus.
“Every decision is unanimous. Never has the opportunity of a vote arisen,” he said, adding that chief ministers of opposition parties have also participated in the decision- making process.
“While inside the meeting, everyone is laughing, playing around and taking a decision. But once the meeting is over, they come out and show anger, aggression and threats,” the prime minister said.
“Inside we are taking decisions on the GST harmoniously and outside they are displaying otherwise,” Modi said.
Similar is the case with Parliament where debates are open and conducted harmoniously but outside anger is shown, he said.
“People of this country know this very well,” he said.
In his first comments on the judicial crisis, Modi said the Government and political parties must stay out of it while expressing confidence that the judiciary will sit together to find a solution to its problems.
He also said the Indian judiciary has a bright history and is full of very capable people.
“Our country’s judiciary has a very bright past, they are very capable people. They will sit together and find a solution to their problems. I have faith in our justice system, they will definitely figure out a solution,” he said.
Asked about the crisis in the Supreme Court after its four seniormost judges came out to openly criticise allocation of sensitive cases by the chief justice, creating an unprecedented situation in the higher judiciary, Modi said, “I think I should stay away from this debate. The Government must also stay away. The political parties must also keep out of it.”
To a question about opposition parties’ alleged attempts to pull “high-profile” BJP leaders into the crisis the way they went after him when he was Gujarat Chief Minister, the Prime Minister said they had made several attempts to finish him politically.
“The path that they are on is what has helped me reach here,” he said, taking a dig at the opposition parties.
On January 12, four top judges of the Supreme Court — justices Jasti Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph— addressed an extraordinary press conference where they said that “all is not well” with the Supreme Court and launched a sharp attack on Chief Justice Dipak Misra for “ignoring the concerns voiced by them”.
Modi indicated that the upcoming Budget will not be a populist one and said it’s a myth that the common man expects “freebies and sops” from the Government.
He also pledged that his Government will stay on the course of the reforms agenda that has pulled out India from being among the ‘fragile five’ economies of the world to being a ‘bright spot’.
Modi stoutly defended his economic policies, saying demonetisation was “a very big success story” and that he was open to changes in the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) to plug loopholes and make it a more efficient ‘one-nation-one- tax’ system.
He rejected criticism of providing a jobless growth, saying “lies” were being spread about employment generation and his Government’s policies were oriented towards creating jobs.
Acknowledging farm distress, he said it was the responsibility of the Centre and the State Governments to identify and address farmers’ issues.
Times Now provided a transcript of the interview ahead of its broadcast today.
Asked if his Government will turn populist in its last full-year Budget before the general elections in 2019, Modi said the issue falls under the ambit of the Finance Minister and he does not want to interfere in it.
“But those who have seen me as the Chief Minister (of Gujarat) and also as the Prime Minister (would know) common man does not want all these things. It is a myth,” he said, according to the transcript.
The common man, he said, expects honest governance. “He doesn’t demand sops and freebies. It is our myth.”
Modi said his Government was taking decisions to fulfill the needs and aspirations of the common man.
Asked specifically if he will resist populism in the Budget to be presented on February 1, he said it needs to be decided if the country needs to grow and become strong, should “this political culture, the Congress culture, be followed”.
On job-less growth, the Prime Minister said, “Lies are being spread about employment generation.”
Explaining in detail, he said the formal sector accounts for 10 per cent of the employment and the remaining 90 per cent jobs are in the informal sector.
In last one year, 70 lakh new retirement fund or EPF accounts have been opened for the youth between 18 and 25 years of age, he said. “Doesn’t this show new employment,” he asked.
Stating that there is no statistics for people working the informal sector, he said there are new chartered accountants, lawyers, doctors and consultants who have joined the vocation since 2014.
Doubling of road construction in last three years could not have happened without employing people and so was doubling rate of rail track laying, he said. Also, programmes like electrification and work on ports gathering pace could not have happened without generating employment, he said.
The Prime Minister said his Government’s policies promote employment particularly in sectors like textile and leather.
Also, providing loans to 10 crore non-corporates and small businesses under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) has created entrepreneurs and jobs, he said.
On farm distress, Modi said the “criticism is justified” and “we can’t deny this”.
It is the responsibility of the Central and State Governments that problems faced by farmers are understood and resolved, he said.
Schemes like crop insurance, irrigation projects, soil health cards, increasing urea availability and stopping diversion of subsidised crop nutrient are all aimed at addressing farm distress, he said and added that making available solar pumps, increasing agro-product processing and focus on rural and agro-based industries were high on his mind.
On the task before him in the last one-and-half years of his Government, Modi said providing electricity to four crore families who still do not have power and completing the programmes and schemes started for the benefit of the common man would be the priority.
Referring to economic achievements, he said in 2013-14, just before the BJP Government came to power, India was considered “among the fragile five economies” in the world.
“Within three years, India has come not just come out of being among fragile file but also its economy is seen as a shining star with optimism and expectation,” the prime minister said.
India has on all economic parameters done well — inflation or the rate of price rise, has averaged 3 per cent in last three years as against 10 per cent previously, FDI inflows have more than doubled to USD 62 million from USD 30 billion; fiscal deficit has been brought down to 3.5 per cent of GDP from over 4.5 per cent, current account deficit has come down to 1-2 per cent from 4 per cent, he said.
“The world looks at these parameters and says India is a bright spot,” he said. “We believe that India’s growth rate will rise in the coming days.”
About being the first Prime Minister to be addressing plenary at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, he said this has been made possible because India has progressed.
“India has shown its economic strength to the world and so it is but obvious that the world wants to know India, it wants to know India directly (from the top leader) (and) understand it,” Modi said.
“India has become a land of great opportunity now,” he said. “India has become an attractive investment destination.”
The Prime Minister said institutions like the IMF and World Bank and rating agencies like Moody’s are all complimenting steps taken by India.
Attacking critics of demonetisation, Modi said people attempted to “ignite a fire, incite riots and knocked at doors of the Supreme Court. They tried everything possible just to save those who were hoarding black money, to save the corrupt, to save the dishonest.”
The overnight decision to ban 86 per cent of the currency in circulation was “a very big success story”, he said.
It wasn’t about just one currency note going and another coming, but the move brought worldwide respect for India and its governance and to the central bank, RBI, he said.
Modi said India has jumped 42 places on ease of doing business ranking since the NDA came to power. “This in itself is a big achievement,” he said.
“The world is astonished that India has ended over 1,400 obsolete laws have been scrapped in last three years. Freeing a person from the clutches of these laws is a bigger achievement than making a new law,” he said.
The system, he said, should be proactive towards the needs of the common man.
He went on to cite giving free cooking gas connection to 3.3 crore poor women to save them from domestic pollution and providing electricity connection to four crore households that still do not have power as examples of his efforts for ‘ease of living” for common Indians.
The Prime Minister said people will realise the good work of his Government only when they compare it the previous 10- year rule of the Congress-led UPA.
Modi said his slogan of ‘Congress-free India’ was not about eliminating the main opposition party politically but about ridding the country of the “Congress culture” which he termed as casteist, dynastic, corrupt and involving total control over power among other ills.
Maintaining that the Congress has been the “main pillar” of politics in the country that spread its culture to all political parties, he said that his call for “Congress mukt” or ‘Congress-free India’ was “symbolic” and he wants even the Congress to be free of the “Congress culture”.
He also attacked the opposition party for its objection to the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha, saying instead of indulging in vote bank politics it must get out of this “regressive mindset”.
Modi wondered if politics has fallen so low that it cannot look at the legislation from the point of view of women’s empowerment.
The Prime Minister dwelt at length for the first time on his “Congress-mukt Bharat” slogan, which he had coined during his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign.
The slogan became a popular political weapon, after the Congress was reduced to a tally of 44 seats in the Lok Sabha, and subsequently lost power in many states to the BJP.
It is now in power only in Punjab, Puducherry, Karnataka and northeastern states of Meghalaya and Mizoram. Elections have already been announced for Meghalaya in February.
Modi said in the interview that even though the slogan became famous, the sentiment behind it could not spread effectively, as things are often said in a hurry in the flow of politics.
Modi said that when he spoke of the ‘Congress-free India’, it was not limited to the Congress as an organisation or its particular unit.
“The culture of the Congress that emerged after independence started appealing to other political parties. They feel that taking a certain path will prove to be successful; casteism, dynasty, corruption, exploitation, treachery and keeping complete control over power. All this became a part of Indian political culture whose main pillar was the Congress,” he claimed.
The Congress at the time of the freedom struggle also had a culture which inspired the youth to sacrifice their lives for the country, he said.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi has used Modi’s slogan of ‘Congress-mukt Bharat’ to attack the BJP, saying he would fight the saffron party ideologically but would never want to wipe it out as it was also an expression of a section of the society.
Modi, however, said that when he spoke of ‘Congress-free India’, it was not limited to the Congress as an organisation or its particular unit, according to the transcript.
The Congress has spread itself as a culture throughout the country, he said.
“So when I say Congress-free India, it is not related to election outcomes. I would want that even the Congress on its own should free itself of the Congress culture.
“It would be in the country’s interest that Congress is also freed of the Congress culture. It’s necessary for a healthy democracy. That’s what I meant by the Congress-free India,” he said.
Referring to the Congress-culture, he said these “shortcomings” were seen in all parties to some extent.
Political parties will have to be saved from this culture and the country’s political character will have to be saved, Modi said.
“The coming generations will have to be saved from this culture. So what I am saying is symbolic. My emphasis is not limited to the Congress as a political party,” he said.
In an apparent dig at Gandhi over his attack on the Modi Government during his recent speeches abroad, Modi said if people go out in the world and say something, then “it’s more about revealing the identity of the person than the country’s identity”.
Taking on the Congress over its opposition to triple talaq bill, Modi said he believed the mistake that the party made when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister would have taught it something.
In 1985, the Supreme Court had ruled in favour of Shah Bano, a divorced woman who had sought maintenance from her husband. However, following a backlash from orthodox Muslim groups, the Congress led by Rajiv Gandhi had diluted the order through an act.
“It was a move to let everyone live with dignity. Why the Congress was not able to understand this social service is a matter of concern. Has politics fallen so low?…Is the hunger for power so much that they can keep watching innocent mothers and sisters suffer and yet continue with their politics. This is very selfish. This pains me,” he said.
The environment has also changed and Islamic countries across the world have also changed their laws, Modi said.
“So the Congress party or any party that indulges in vote bank politics must get out of this regressive mindset and think from the point of view of women’s empowerment and respect for women,” he said.
The Prime Minister claimed that the bill, which is likely to be pushed again by the Government during Parliament’s budget session, was not a political move but aimed at saving Muslim women affected by the practise of triple talaq. (PTI)
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