Jamnagar: In a slip of the tongue, Prime Minister Narendra Modi got ‘Kochi’ in Kerala and ‘Karachi’ in Pakistan mixed up but quickly covered it up by saying that his mind these days is preoccupied with the neighbouring country.
PM Modi while explaining the virtues of the Ayushman Bharat health scheme said it allowed a resident of Jamnagar to avail treatment anywhere in the country, be it ‘Kolkata’ or ‘Karachi’. He later corrected it by telling the crowd that he meant ‘Kochi’ and not ‘Karachi’.
Addressing a gathering in Jamnagar, he stated that “Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, if a resident of Jamnagar has gone to Bhopal and falls sick, he need not come back to Jamnagar for treatment. If he shows his (Ayushman Bharat) beneficiary card, he will get free treatment even in Kolkata and even in Karachi.”
However, he corrected it and said “Not Karachi but Kochi. Nowadays my mind is preoccupied with the thoughts of the neighbouring country.” adding that “But that (air strike in Pakistan) was also necessary.
“Should that be done or not?” he asked the crowd to which the crowd replied with a round of applause.