Launching the BJP’s much talked about “Chai pe Charcha with NaMo”, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Wednesday interacted with people at different locations across the country.
Mr Modi, while interacting with people from Iskcon Gandhi tea stall in western Ahmedabad using technology, said he was committed to bringing back black money stashed abroad and assured people that if voted to power the BJP would set up a task force, amend laws and distribute the money brought in among honest tax-payers as a “gift”. In between answering queries, Mr Modi was sipping tea.
Part of the BJP’s poll strategy to woo voters and conceptualised by Team Modi, the programme was held simultaneously at 1,000 locations across 300 cities across India. Senior BJP leaders will also interact with people. The campaign was conceptualised using the “tea-seller” jibes hurled at Mr Modi by rivals. Mr Modi talked about the benefits of tea and how it can help people set up a small-scale business. He said the tea stall serves as a “footpath Parliament” where issues are debated.
“The whole country is worried about black money. It is an anti-national activity... For bringing back this black money, you require political will. I give an assurance to my countrymen that when we will form a government in Delhi, we will create a task force and, if necessary, will amend the laws,” Mr Modi said. BJP veteran L.K. Advani had taken out a nationwide yatra in 2011 on the black money issue.
Mr Modi was interacting with people on the theme of good governance.
As an incentive, he said, whatever such money is brought in, five to 10 per cent of it will be given as a “gift” to those salaried class people who earn a fixed income and honestly paid taxes. His remarks were seen as an apparent bid to woo the salaried class and employees ahead of elections.
Mr Modi stressed on good governance, saying the common man expects nothing from the government except good governance, which has become a casualty now, and said this trust needs to be re-established. He said bad governance is like diabetes which brings with it many other ailments.
He lamented that even small nations have developed but India has not made its mark in the world.
Mr Modi said politics has changed and is not the same as in the past. “Today, the public demands accountability and every elected representative has to remain connected with the public,” he said.
He said that in tune with the changing times, systems in democratic institutions should also change and they should run on democratic principles.