Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dismissed concerns raised by the opposition parties that India is heading towards an autocracy. In an interview with The Times of India, he also took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, referring to him as ‘Yuvraj’ and saying that the opposition’s actions exemplify a scorched earth policy.
“This is an example of the scorched earth policy. Because the opposition is not able to get power, they start defaming India on the world stage. They spread canards about our people, our democracy and our institutions. India does not become an electoral autocracy if the Yuvraj cannot automatically get power,” Modi said.
‘India not impressed with Rahul Gandhi’
The prime minister added that the country is not impressed with Gandhi, saying: “Just because he has to fight elections and the people of India are not impressed by him, doesn’t make India less democratic.”
He added that overseas, such allegations find few supporters, as foreign leaders often acknowledge the authenticity of India’s democratic practices, as per the report.
“I don’t think there are many takers for such charges in foreign capitals. They often are more in sync with reality than the ‘certificate shops’ in their countries. When I engage with world leaders, I see genuine admiration for our democratic process and our institutions. When they deep dive into the scale and speed of our electoral process, they are awed by our efficiency,” Modi said.
“Because the opposition is not able to get power, they start defaming India on the world stage. They spread canards about our people, our democracy and our institutions. India does not become an electoral autocracy if the Yuvraj cannot automatically get power,” Modi said in the interview.
Another India Shining Moment?
Modi also responded to criticism from Gandhi regarding the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming elections. Rahul Gandhi had likened the present situation to the “India Shining” moment of 2004, suggesting a potential shock defeat for the BJP.
“Unlike in 2004, when BJP pushed away allies, the party has this time enlisted new ones The Congress party’s Yuvraj should be the last person to be talking about hubris,” Modi said.
“Each election is based on contemporary issues and, so, comparing them is not correct. In 2024, not only have we got new allies but we have unprecedented support of the people, which gives us the confidence of a spectacular win. The results from the South will see multiple myths broken this time. Our mind-share has already increased and you will see that our vote share and seat share will also increase in a huge way,” he added.
He further said that it would take “some miracle to make them (Cong) win the elections”, as senior party leaders have “given up and conceded the elections”.
‘EVMs Credible, Opposition Wants Booth Capturing’
Modi also alleged that the opposition is against EVMs because they want to “drag the nation” towards booth capturing, as per the report.
“Our Supreme Court has given a good closure to this issue. The SC judgment speaks in detail about the importance of EVMs and the transparency they bring. The opposition always wants to drag the nation towards the era of booth capturing, which is only possible through paper ballots,” he said.
“I don’t think the members of INDI Alliance have ever been bothered about logic and reason when it comes to EVMs. For them, EVMs have always been the convenient scapegoat after defeat. Let us see if it will be any different this time. Opposition often alleges that there is threat to democracy and also that the country is moving towards being an ‘electoral autocracy’,” Modi added.
He also alleged that accusations of using the ED and CBI to harass political opponents are “excuses” because the opposition’s leaders are leaving “in hordes”.
“… no ongoing investigation has been closed simply because the person involved has joined a particular party. Corruption is a serious problem, and we’re dealing with it seriously,” he added.
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Published: 29 Apr 2024, 09:27 AM IST