PM Modi: My Vision Aligns With First-Time Voters, Congress Manifesto Destroys Their Aspirations

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Last Updated:April 15, 2024, 19:47 IST

PM Modi to ANI: The developed India that I am talking about, who has a simultaneous future with it? Those who are 20 years old today. This is the timeframe of his entire life in a way. He will be 40 or 45 in 2047...There...Read More

PM Narendra Modi said the Congress manifesto had failed the economy completely. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an exclusive interview to ANI, said that his vision for a developed India in 2047 aligned with first-time voters of today, while the Congress’s manifesto destroyed their aspirations.

“The developed India that I am talking about, who has a simultaneous future with it? Those who are 20 years old today. This is the timeframe of his entire life in a way. He will be 40, 45 years old in 2047. This means that the process of India’s development and the process of his life are both the same. There is a golden opportunity for him. He is going to be the biggest beneficiary of 2047. This is what I am explaining to him that I am making your future. You join me. And I believe that they will join," PM Modi said.

He criticised the Congress manifesto stating that it had failed the economy completely. “The manifesto of the opposition destroys the aspiration of the first-time voter of the country. If you do a complete analysis, the biggest loss is of people who are less than 25 years old. This manifesto will destroy their future. I want to make their lives better. I want to give strength to innovation in the country," Modi said.

“The young generation thinks that our lives are getting better. Today, the data of my country is so cheap. The result of cheap data is that I have given strength to my youth to usher in a digital revolution. I just met the gamers. They say, sir, we go to play in countries of the world. Data is so expensive there. We have so many opportunities in India," the PM added.

While caste and cash was the highlight of the Congress manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its manifesto released on Sunday, steered clear of cash freebies and focused on ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’.

My decisions are for the development of the country and public welfare: PM Modi#LokSabhaElection #PMModi #BJP pic.twitter.com/4Yqtnx5ip9— News18 (@CNNnews18) April 15, 2024

The PM also said there should be respect for taxpayers in the country, adding that tax collection had seen a significant bump as people had faith in the government. “There should be respect for taxpayers. If they will keep abusing every taxpayer, then how will the country run? I don’t understand what kind of thinking this is. In the past 10 years, the number of ITR file holders has increased by two times. Earlier, less than four crore people used to file ITR. Today, more than eight crore people are filing ITR. Tax collection has increased three times. That means earlier the net tax collection used to be Rs 11 lakh crore. Today, the net tax collection is Rs 34 lakh crore. Why is this happening? It is because of trust that the money he is giving is being used in the right place. For the sake of development, not for theft and looting," the PM said “I will also make a request to taxpayers. You should inspire at least three people who do not pay taxes to start paying taxes. And I explain to them that when I build a house for the poor, the bricks that are put in it are paid for by some taxpayer… When I give free ration to a poor person, when he cooks food and feeds his children, if any taxpayer thinks that he gave the tax that led to a hungry child eating food, he will be happy to give the tax," he said.

The Prime Minister reiterated that his government was working towards making the country strong. “Unfortunately, the political culture of the past was on how to make the family strong, how to not let anyone take away the roots of the family. Whereas, I am working with the aim of making the country strong. My government is working with that aim. And when the country is strong, everyone experiences its benefits… where something is happening, we are working hard, we are doing it with honesty, these things have an impact," Modi said.

ON ‘NO LEVEL PLAYING FIELD’ ALLEGATIONS

PM Modi denied the allegations by the Opposition that there is lack of level playing field in the Lok Sabha elections and said that laws regarding the institutions were formed before his tenure, while adding that the Opposition is only trying to find an excuse for their impending defeat.

Responding to the claims of the misuse of the Enforcement Directorate, Modi highlighted that only 3 per cent of cases are against political people and a much higher amount of cash has been seized by the agency in the past 10 years as compared to before.

“No law regarding this was made by my government. Whether it is ED, CBI or Election Commission," he said, adding that his government even passed a bill that keeps a Leader of Opposition in the three-member committee to select the three Election Commissioners. “In fact, we have made improvements in the Election Commission. Today, if the Election Commission is formed, then the opposition is also in it."

He said that earlier people close to the Congress became Election Commissioners, who were later given Rajya Sabha tickets and ministries. “Such people became election commissioners, who after leaving from there, became members of the Rajya Sabha or ministers of their government. And that is why we cannot play at that level," the Prime Minister added.

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Taking a jibe at the Opposition, he said, “We cannot become like that. We want to go on the right path, we don’t want to go on the wrong path."