'Chai wala' Modi sips tea, attacks Cong on governance, black

Image
Press Trust of India Ahmedabad
Last Updated : Feb 12 2014 | 10:13 PM IST
Milking 'chai wala' barb against him for all its worth, Narendra Modi sipped tea at ease as he interacted with the common man across 1000 places through video, attacking Congress over governance and black money, which he promised to bring back after becoming prime minister.
The BJP's prime ministerial nominee, who has made senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's jibe at his humble origin, when he sold tea with his father, a political weapon to hit out at Congress while connecting with the masses, likened bad governance to diabetes which drains a nation of its vitality.
Dubbing black money as a "national worry", Modi said he was committed to bringing it back from tax havens abroad, "which no other government can do" and distribute a portion of it among the salaried people who honestly paid their taxes.
"No matter how strong the body is, once it's afflicted by diabetes, it begins to host multiple diseases. Bad governance is like diabetes. Corruption sets in, there is no development and people are condemned to suffer," he said in an interface with common people as part of his "Chai Pe Charcha" programme.
Taking time off his high-pitched rallies, Modi castigated Congress at leisure over governance, saying "When a country of a hundred and twentyfive crore people loses faith in its elected government, how can the nation run? Mahatma Gandhi gave us Swaraj (self rule) but we could not bring Suraj (good governance)."
Responding to a question, the BJP leader dubbed accumulation of black money as an "anti-national" activity and vowed to bring it back from tax havens abroad even if it required amending existing laws and enacting new ones.
"The whole country is worried over black money. Black money is anti-national activity. We will set up a task force which will give it recommendations about how to bring it back. If required, law will be amended and new ones enacted. I am committed to do this because this money belongs to the poor people of India," he said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 12 2014 | 10:13 PM IST

Next Story