Amit Shah on the BBC documentary and the Adani dispute: Since 2002, Modi has emerged unscathed from allegations.
Amid the Opposition’s onslaught against the Centre in response to the Hindenburg report on the Adani Group and the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated on Tuesday that the PM had been subjected to similar allegations since 2002 and had emerged more popular and shining. Regarding the Adani matter, he stated that the BJP has nothing to hide and the government cannot be accused of crony capitalism.
“The Supreme Court has assumed jurisdiction over this dispute. As a member of the Cabinet, it would be improper for me to comment when the Supreme Court is seized of the case. The BJP has nothing to hide in this situation, though. In an interview with ANI’s editor-in-chief Smita Prakash, Shah stated that “we have nothing to fear.”
Amit Shah adds, “PM Modi ended the feeling of estrangement in the Northeast area.”
“There is no doubt about that” (crony capitalism). No one can accuse the Republican Party of such a thing. During their (Congress’s) tenure, their own agencies lodged cases involving around Rs 12,000 crore worth of scams, a senior BJP leader claimed.
When asked if he viewed the Adani controversy emerging immediately after the BBC programme as a conspiracy, Shah responded, “Conspire as much as you want against the truth; it will emerge beaming like the sun. Since 2002, this group has pursued Modiji. But each time Modi has emerged unsullied and grown in popularity.”
After the Hindenburg-Adani dispute, the Centre agreed on Monday that the Supreme Court should establish a committee to enhance the regulatory regime.
When it was pointed out that the Opposition accuses the government of controlling all agencies, Shah responded, “Then people should go to court. Even with regard to the Pegasus issue, I recommended going to court if you have evidence. They did not do so. We have no authority over the court. Those who went informed the Supreme Court, and an investigation was also performed.”
Regarding parliamentary debate on the Adani dispute, during which the Opposition disrupted the prime minister’s address, Shah stated that the entire nation was watching and that the House must be managed according to the norms. Regarding one-nation-one-election, he stated that the moment is now, but that it will require debates and deliberations.
From G20 to Mughals
When it was pointed out that the BJP appeared to be utilising the G20 conference for domestic politics, Shah responded, “Why not? If the G20 took place during Modiji’s administration and was a success, Modiji must receive credit. Should it go to the Opposition? The manner in which he has organised everything has surprised the entire world. In no country have G20 gatherings exceeded four-and-a-half cities. We have given every state an opportunity. This is a notable accomplishment. Now, the globe will return with word of India’s diversity.”
The Union home minister also responded to charges that the BJP is attempting to erase India’s Mughal legacy. Shah stated, “We have no intention of eradicating the Mughal contribution. No one should have an issue, though, if someone want to reinstate the country’s longstanding custom. Each of the cities whose names we have changed had a previous name. It is a constitutional right of all governments.”
Regarding Bharat Jodo Yatra altering Rahul Gandhi’s image, Shah stated, “I don’t think the country’s citizens believe it.”
Shah acknowledged that there were also second-generation and third-generation leaders in the BJP, but stated that, unlike other parties, the BJP does not have a system that requires the party president to come from a single family.
Assembly polls
Shah stated that the BJP will win with a majority in the upcoming Assembly elections in all five states: Tripura, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh. This time, we shall provide our finest performance in Tripura. The fact that all sides are cooperating to defeat us demonstrates our strength. This increases our confidence,’ he stated.
The home minister emphasised that the government’s crackdown on the drug traffic along the India-Bangladesh border was positively accepted by the public, arguing that the BJP government has worked for the benefit of the people.
He added that the BJP has ended violence in Tripura and that it was time to focus on the state’s economic growth. Shah stated that Biplab Deb was replaced as chief minister of Tripura midway through his term in order to better utilise him. “People continue to travel from the states to the Center. He has been made a Rajya Sabha member and placed in charge of a key state such as Haryana. He is also a minister of the Union. He contributes to both the federal government and the Manik Saha administration. This is an advancement.”
He denied the involvement of the tribal organisation Tipra Motha in the elections, claiming that the BJP was gaining a complete majority.
He stated that the administration had exerted great effort to bring prosperity and peace to the Northeast. He discussed all the peace agreements struck with former insurgent groups and the resolution of refugee concerns involving Bru and Reang people. He discussed the number of airports created in the Northeast and the 51 times Prime Minister Modi has visited during his tenure.
Shah stated, in the context of the Meghalaya and Nagaland Assembly elections, that the BJP was dedicated to safeguarding the cultural character of the respective states and the diverse groups inside them. He stated that the nine years of the Modi administration had dispelled fears of homogenization and that local languages and dialects were being utilised in education.
People continue to discuss the progress made by the Narendra Modi administration in the Northeast. Shah stated that Narendrabhai’s greatest accomplishment was bridging the gap between the hearts of mainstream India and the Northeast.
Shah asked, in response to the government’s failure to achieve the Naga Peace Accord despite the 2015 signing of a framework deal, “What is an accord for?” It is meant to end the bloodshed. A cease-fire is in effect. “Discussions have begun.”
In the context of forthcoming elections in Karnataka, Shah stated that the Congress has “attempted to discontinue cases against the PFI (Popular Front of India)”. “We have prohibited them. I feel that the PFI was a radicalization and conversion organisation. They were preparing terrorism’s raw materials. We have discovered numerous records indicating that their actions were detrimental to the unity and integrity of the nation, he said.
“There was once a time when the PFI only affected Karnataka and Kerala. At the time of the prohibition, its tendrils had extended throughout the country. Then, we obtained such data from agencies where any delay was inappropriate. We have risen above vote bank politics and dealt with them harshly.”
