India jumps 42 places in ease of doing business after we came to power- PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke exclusively to Times Now’s Editor-in-Chief Rahul Shivshankar and Managing Editor (Politics) Navika Kumar and touched upon issues like Demonetisation and the GST, unemployment and inflation, simultaneous polls in states and at the Centre, and his efforts to make the life of the common man easy.

Highlights of the interview

– I am very grateful to Times Now and I believe that this nation is entitled to ask me questions. Answering them is my responsibility. But I am always tied up with work and you must have seen that I am a kind of person who keeps working all the time – PM Modi on giving interview to Times Now

– I never make my timetable on the basis of the election timetable. My timetable depends on the task of working for the common man – PM Modi on his priorities in the run-up to next Lok Sabha elections in 2019

Priorities for the next 18 months

– The fight against terrorism is about saving humanity – PM

– As far as Pakistan is concerned, I believe, and I have always said that India and Pakistan have fought a lot, we should come together and fight poverty, come together and fight diseases – PM Modi

Pakistan not the centre point of India’s foreign policy; isolating it not our sole aim: PM Narendra Modi

– The world is grappling with the scourge of terrorism and whoever is sympathetic towards terrorists, the world is uniting against them. Innocents are being killed, terrorism needs to end in the world. – PM Modi

– Our foreign policy is issue based, it is not based on one nation and it shouldn’t be. And if you think we are doing so much hard work around the world to isolate one nation, then that is wrong. This is not our work – PM Modi

– If you think India’s foreign policy is based on Pakistan, then this is a grave injustice to India – PM Modi on a question about isolating Pakistan internationally

– The common man does not want all these things. It’s a myth. The common man expects honesty; he expects to get what he deserves. He doesn’t demand sops and freebies – PM Modi on populism and populist Budget

On 2018 Budget 

– If Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections are held together, the expenditure of the country will be saved, time will be saved – PM Modi

– Elections must be at a specific time so that all the mudslinging can be done at that time and then for the rest of the 5 years we can work – PM Modi

Why simultaneous elections are necessary in India

– When it is time for assembly elections, yes I am the prime minister but I am a part of the political sphere. I need to go and speak – Modi

– Before 1967, Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections used to be together. People used to make one decision at the lower level and another at the higher level. They voted together but it could be different. So there is no reason to doubt our voters – PM Modi

– This is our responsibility. I am not the first person to talk about this – PM Modi on simultaneous polls at Centre and in states

National anthem in cinema halls? 

– The opposition has made several attempts to finish Narendra Modi (politically). I wish them all the best – PM Modi on Opposition trying to rake up issues like the judiciary crisis and others to try and corner the PM

– Our country’s judiciary has a very bright past, they are very capable people; they will sit together and find the solution to their problems. I have faith in our justice system, they will definitely figure out a solution – PM Modi

On Supreme Court crisis

– I think I should stay away from this debate. The government must also stay away. Political parties must also keep out of it – PM Narendra Modi on tussle in judiciary

– If they (Congress) insult us regarding GST it’s still fine. When it comes to a poor Muslim woman at stake – I’m sure they feel bad from inside but politics and thirst for power maybe makes them do this – PM Modi

– Even the strongest people were moved to tears by the condition of those women who were affected by triple talaq. They needed to be saved; this was not a political move or a move to corner anybody. It was a move to let everyone live with dignity – PM Modi

On Triple Talaq bill 

– The Congress party or any party that indulges in vote bank politics must get out of this regressive mindset and think from the point of view of women empowerment and respect for women – PM Modi on triple talaq bull getting stalled in Parliament

– The Congress has been the main pillar of politics in our country that influenced the culture in all political parties.

– So when I say Congress-free India it’s not related to election outcomes. I would want that even the Congress party on its own should free itself of the Congress culture. The Congress at the time of freedom struggle had a culture which inspired the youth to sacrifice their lives for the country. But the culture of the Congress that emerged after Independence has started appealing to other political parties. Casteism, dynasty, corruption and exploitation, treachery and keeping complete control over power – all this became a part of Indian political culture whose main pillar was the Congress – PM Modi on his Congress-mukt Bharat slogan

 ‘Congress-mukt India’ slogan

– Let the country decide whether what a person says in a foreign country is more revealing about that person’s identity or about the country’s identity. The world knows the country’s identity – PM Modi on political leaders speaking about India’s problems in foreign countries

– Today when people enter any airport and place their Indian passport at the immigration counter, there is a sense of pride – PM Modi on India’s image abroad

– I don’t want God to remind me about those things. I would only say that I hope god gives good sense to all – PM Modi on distasteful personal remarks made against him and his family

– All our policies have an in-built mechanism to promote employment – PM Modi

– The rate of building rail tracks in a day has doubled. Wouldn’t that be creating employment? Electrification is also double of what happened earlier. Wouldn’t that be creating employment? The work on ports has gathered pace. Would that have increased without creating employment? How would all this have happened? – PM Modi

– Seven million new EPF accounts have been opened – doesn’t this show new employment? – asks PM Modi

– Lies being spread about employment – PM Modi on a question about job creation

– If GST succeeds, everyone is responsible and if it fails it is everyone’s responsibility – PM Modi

– Whenever who so ever got the opportunity, they attempted to push GST – PM Modi

– We are making efforts in the direction of one nation one tax. No one has actually opposed GST. Theoretically, everyone accepts GST – PM Modi on some political leaders calling the GST ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’

– This is my personal belief that ease of doing business is very good but in a country like India the ultimate goal should be ease of living. That is why my focus is more on ending the struggles of the common man who has to fight the system. The system should be proactive for the needs of the common man and this should be only what is designated. No one is asking for more – PM Modi on making ease of living a reality

“My aim is to end the struggles of common man”

– India has actually jumped 42 places and not 30 in ease of doing business after we came to power. This in itself is a big achievement. This didn’t become possible just like that. The ranking is a result of good governance, clarity and policy framework according to global standards – PM Modi

– For me, the certificate given by my countrymen is the biggest certificate, and my countrymen have given me their certificate – PM Modi on world economic institutions like IMF and World Bank lauding demonetisation and GST

Got biggest certificate from nation on demonetisation, GST: PM Narendra Modi

– India is a country that has a thriving middle class. If there are 800 crore people who are younger than 35 and with all this, there is democracy, it is very natural that the world will be attracted towards such a country. And it is our responsibility to see to it that this opportunity is not lost – PM Modi on his move to address plenary at Davos

– My job is to go to the world and sing their praises; it is my job to tell the world the story of the feats of my countrymen – PM Modi

Why India has to be at the World Economic Forum, Davos

– This has become possible because India has progressed – Modi on becoming first PM to address Davos plenary

– We have brought down the average inflation rate to 3% – PM Modi on price rise

India’s economic policy

– For the last three and a half years, we are running such a government that is taint-free

– It becomes easy to spread pessimism and to see negativity in everything

– In politics, blame game, accusation and blowing things out of proportion is common – PM Modi on many coming up with ‘doom’s day scenario’

– India is a bright spot, doing very well as far as development in economic front is concerned

Biggest satisfaction

– Instead of me evaluating my work, it would be better if the people assess this

– I am very satisfied that the pledge with which we set out, we are on the right track – PM Modi on three and a half years of his term in office

 The interview begins.

– There is an immense buzz on social media ahead of the telecast of PM’s exclusive interview with Times Now. There have been record-breaking Twitter impressions before the telecast – 870 million impressions.

FULL INTERVIEW – Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to Times Now

Courtesy Times Now