Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Friday downplayed Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi”s remark that it was time for him to repay his ”debt to Mother India”.
“As someone who believes in the idea of India, who believes in the plurality of Indian ethos, who is committed to the founding values of the Indian constitution, I often worry about the statements of the chief minister of Gujarat. I hope he does not want to do in the rest of India, in the other parts of India, what he did in Gujarat in 2002,” he told mediapersons here.
Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Aggarwal also dismissed the Gujarat chief minister”s statement, saying Modi is not capable of bringing any major changes in the country.
“There was no bigger leader than Atalji (former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee). Narendra Modi is not bigger than Atalji that he would bring in some major change. There is more noise about Gujarat, but less work done,” said Gujral.
“I don”t think one single person can change the country”s situation. Right now, only a third front and its leader can save the country,” he added.
Bringing his Prime Ministerial ambition to the fore, Modi yesterday said it is the duty of every child to repay the debt he owes to “Mother India”.
“People are saying that I have repaid the debt of Gujarat. They are now asking me to repay the debt owed to Mother India. Every citizen owed a debt to the country. If you are a teacher, your duty is towards your students. If you are a doctor, you owe it to your patients,” Modi said.
“I hope Mother India gives her blessings and nobody goes away without paying this debt,” he added.
Modi”s remark gave clear indication that he is ready for a major role in the national political arena in the 2014 general elections. (ANI)