Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled how he extended help to his political rivals, such as Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in times of distress.
In an exclusive interview with News18, PM Modi spoke about the incident when a helicopter carrying Sonia Gandhi and another Congress leader, Ahmed Patel, had crashed in Daman.
“I was the chief minister of Gujarat when, in Daman, a helicopter carrying Sonia ji , Ahmed Patel sahab crashed. I told them that I am sending an air ambulance, but Ahmed Patel sahab told me that they are all fine and not in any kind of emergency,” PM Modi was quoted by Money Control and CNBCTV18 as saying.
‘When Sonia ji fell ill…’
The Prime Minister added, “Once Sonia ji went to Kashi for an election campaign and she fell ill, so I immediately sent people over to see what the matter is and, if required, send an aircraft to carry her.”
“…these are my principles and this is beyond politics. So, for me, whenever any problem arises in any family, this should be resolved by rising above politics,” PM Modi said.
‘When Rahul Gandhi aircraft faced issues…’
The Prime Minister further recalled calling up Rahul Gandhi immediately upon hearing that his aircraft had faced some issues. “…. I don’t remember which election it was. Rahul Ji [Rahul Gandhi] faced some issues with his helicopter. I called him immediately to ask if he was in distress,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi made these comments while defending BJP chief JP Nadda’s decision to rush to the house of Neha Hiremath, the daughter of a Congress councillor, who was stabbed to death by her former classmate Fayaz on the campus of BVB College on April 18. He was asked whether the focus of elections in Karnataka was shifting to such issues due to this.
“Nadda ji was attending a programme in Karnataka, when this incident took place. Who belongs to which party, or he belongs to the Congress; his daughter was murdered. These are not my values or mindset. And it is a matter of human sentiment, and I believe that even in the midst of the election rush, what he did was the human thing to do,” PM Modi was quoted as saying.
He also highlighted the law and order situation in Karnataka, which is currently ruled by the Congress.
The Prime Minister said, “If you look at the law-and-order situation, there are riots and murders taking place; the economic condition is in a state of complete bankruptcy. They have made big promises: if this happens, you will get this; if that happens, you will get this. This means you are cheating the public.”
PM Modi was speaking in an interview held just ahead of the third phase of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on May 7. The first and the second phase of the polling were held on April 19 and April 26.
