Modi has credibility, nation wants him back as PM: Anurag Singh Thakur

New Delhi: Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur exuded confidence in BJP’s victory for a straight third term at the Centre. He said the people of the country trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of working and ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’. In an interaction with Parvez Sultan, the minister also spoke about the BJP’s agenda for the next term and efforts to achieve the target of crossing the 400-seat mark. Excerpts:

The most important is credibility. What PM Modi promised in 2014, he has delivered in 2024. When we came to power, India was among the fragile economies of the world. We are among the top five now. Pick any sector from health, education, and road to rail and civil aviation, India has progressed more than what the Congress could not achieve in 60 years. We have run an honest government. We have laid the strong foundations of New India; upon which we’ll raise a grand structure of Viksit Bharat.

We had a meeting of the council of ministers about three week ago in which we prepared a roadmap for the next 25 years; what the government will do in the first 100 days of coming into power. We also discussed the achievements to be made in the next five years. This has never been done by any government. This is the difference between the Modi government and the previous dispensations.

The BJP is going to win the highest number of seats ever in the South; from Telangana to Tamil Nadu, from Andhra Pradesh to Karnataka, and Kerala. I am not getting into the numbers because the ultimate aim is 400-plus seats. For example, in Telangana, it is going to be in double digits.

In Karnataka, last time, we performed extraordinarily.

People are already fed up with false promises of the Congress government as it could not deliver. They also don’t have the capability, competence and the will to fulfill the promises in Karnataka. You look at the kind of response we are getting in Tamil Nadu, it is overwhelming. People are fed up with the policies of both DMK and AIADMK. And they are looking at the BJP.

The BJP attacks opposition leaders for their alleged involvement in corruption cases. It is said that when an opposition leader with one case or another joins your party, there is no action against him or her.

People with serious allegations against them have been investigated. If there was evidence, they must have faced action. However, the Opposition keeps making allegations. They also say that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are tempered with; the Election Commission is partial and whatnot. Allegations may be leveled against anyone, but until investigation is done, evidence is collected and they are not convicted, they have the right to go anywhere. So, when AAP MP Sanjay Singh gets bail, then the ED is good, when Arvind Kejriwal gets jail, the same ED is bad. You can’t have two yardsticks. Similarly, If you win elections, you don’t make remarks about EVMs. I assure you that nobody, who has done corruption in this country will be spared.