PM Modi's candid New Year interview on Ram Mandir, Surgical Strikes sets tone for BJP's 2019 polls campaign

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his first interview of 2019 as an ideal platform to fire his opening salvo on critical national issues ranging from Ram Mandir, Triple Talaq, demonetisation to the Surgical Strikes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI Photo

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his first interview of 2019 as an ideal platform to fire his opening salvo on critical national issues ranging from Ram Mandir, Triple Talaq, demonetisation to the Surgical Strikes. PM Modi was as candid and direct as possible is answering questions posed by ANI Chief Editor, Smita Prakash in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. With the 2019 Lok Sabha elections just four months away, the political heavyweights are gearing up all their arsenal to take on each other in the race to wrestle power at the Centre. In his interview, PM Modi attacked Rahul Gandhi led Congress party and opposition parties, terming the proposed UPA led  Grand Alliance as 'forces of corruption'. PM Modi also hit back at the Opposition parties for raising question on the authenticity of the surgical strike. PM Modi turned a bit emotional while responding to the question on surgical strikes. The prime minister revealed he was getting live updates  about the mission and was keeping a close tab on the risky operation throughout the night. "I knew it was a big risk. I never care about any political risk to me. The biggest consideration for me was the safety of our soldiers," PM Modi said adding that he didn’t want any harm to the commandos who were "willing to sacrifice their lives on our word." Asked whether the upcoming Lok Sabha polls would be "anybody but Modi' contest as projected by the opposition parties, he said, "It is going to be 'janta (public) versus gathbandhan (coalition). Modi is just a manifestation of public love and blessings." Speaking on the contentious Ram Mandir issue, the prime minister rejected the idea of ordinance and said that the Supreme Court should decide and then his government would take required steps. The Prime Minister backed his government's schemes of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation, saying that it augured well for the economy, increasing the overall tax collection. Modi was intelligent in tackling the question on how rifts had emerged within the NDA allies under BJP's rule. Intrestingly, he hinted towards allying with new partners in Lok Sabha elections. On new partnerships, the Prime Minister said that new allies will ‘Continuously join. After 2014, small parties have joined’. When asked about BSP chief Mayawati joining the NDA, he said that, ‘I don’t think any sensible person will spell out such things on TV, who will join, who cannot. But the public knows it all.’