In the midst of the parliamentary elections, 'Aaj Tak' has secured the most formidable interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a no-holds-barred exchange, the Prime Minister provides elaborate responses to a volley of pointed queries proposed by India Today Group's esteemed editors. With each segment, PM Modi dissects oppositional allegations, elaborates on policy decisions, and gives a detailed account of his administration's performance and aspirations.
Delve into the dialogues, word for word.
Anjana Om Kashyap:
Prime Minister, as the election season progresses, while constituents curate lists of candidates, manifestos, and identify star campaigners, you forged ahead, crafting a 100-day agenda. Our opening query revolves around 2014's milestones completed within your initial 100 days—implementing OROP, forming the SIT to probe black money. In 2019's onset, you swiftly abolished Triple Talaq in 62 days, and notably rescinded Article 370 from Kashmir in 66 days. Should you ascend to power come 2024, what significant decisions can we anticipate within your first 100 days?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
One of my signatures is predetermining my course of action, a skill refined during organizational responsibilities. Absent formal management schooling, this methodology perhaps developed with practice. As any family newly welcomes a daughter-in-law, they attentively gauge her initial deportment, which provides considerable insight into innate tendencies—universal traits worth acknowledging.
Consider the January 26th earthquake that ravaged Gujarat. At the time, when I manned the party's helm, my unforeseen assumption of the Chief Minister position directed me straight to the affected zones. Having taken the oath, the sights and experiences I encountered subsequently informed a meeting with officials. Predictions earmarked March for restorative completions, but I shifted the focus to pre-January 26th efforts, prompting the machinery to thrive on escalated timelines, and that prelude, before delivering our report card in Delhi on January 24th, created a reverberating impact...
Relinquishing power does not equate with existent governance; people selected me for proactive leadership, not for idle observance. Therefore, my 100-day agenda fashioned in 2014 now dovetails with a foresight stretching into 2024, fuelled by dialogues with over 20 lakh individuals towards envisioning 2047. Engaging in this articulatory process predicates a level of administrative turnover, and hence, a resolve for instigating a fundamental recalibration surfaced...
Sudhir Chaudhary:
Astounding is our conversation surrounding your prospective term, given the current electionary background. Musing over 100-day stints speaks volumes of your self-assured vision of returning to office. Throughout India, your persona incarnates BJP's core strength. Does it occur to you that during this third term, candidates riding off your coattail may have adopted a complacent stance, comforted by your remarkable legacy that appears to minimize their state of ordeal?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi:
Deliberations over our assured victory and the inevitable formation of our government are tardy retrospects. International dialogues with President Putin and the G7, among others, illuminate a universal conviction surrounding this governance's reign. Election discourse preceded by a proactive decree within the party ranks laid the groundwork; 'Lotus' was denominated the solitary candidate. We're devoted to the cause of 'Lotus', paradoxically so are our adversaries. The principal, the more they malign, the more the lotus symbol flourishes...
The compilation of insights elucidated throughout this interview embodies the complex spectrum of issues ranging from the sanctity of constitutional institutions, contentious enactments catered towards minorities, to the sophisticated forging of international alliances—showcasing India's ascendancy onto the global diplomatic forefront...
