Modi plays down 'repay debt' remark, calls it a media spin

Ahmedabad, April 6: Gujarat Chief Minister

on Saturday said in an

that there was no special significance in his saying that he wanted to repay the country's debt. Speaking to an English news channel, Modi said as an RSS worker, he has been trained since his younger days to love the motherland and serve it whenever there is an opportunity.

He said for him, serving the nation could also mean sweeping the road or serve the poor and expressed the view that all citizens of the country should think of serving the country. Modi said on Thursday that after repaying Gujarat's debt, he was looking forward to repay the country's debt after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi spoke on a confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event, creating speculation that Modi was now strengthening the focus on the Delhi throne. Modi said he said it after the speaker who spoke before him urged him to repay the country's debt. According to Modi, the speculation was more created by the media spin.

When asked whether the 2014 election will be a Modi vs Rahul or Modi vs Manmohan affair, the Gujarat chief minister said it was certain that the poll agenda for the next big polls will be set by the BJP and as like the people of Gujarat have helped the state to get rid of the Congress, the people of India will also create a Congress-free country.

On the question of dual or triple power-centres in the Congress, Modi said dynasticism was not good for a democracy but India was unfortunate to have got trapped in dynastic politics. He said there is no wrong if many members of a single family join politics but that doesn't mean that a single dynasty will start calling all shots.
On the Congress's repeated target on communal lines, an unmoved Modi said the more the Congress indulges in mud-slinging, the more the BJP's hands will get stronger. He said it has already been proved in Gujarat.

The Gujarat CM, however, refused to say anything on Rahul Gandhi's terming India as a beehive at the CII event. Although at the public rally held here earlier on the occasion of the BJP's 33rd foundation day, Modi lambasted the Congress on the beehive remark, saying the latter humiliated the country by calling it a beehive. "For them the country is a beehive, for us it is our mother," said Modi.

OneIndia News