Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an interview to ANI on Wednesday, elaborated on his “fake samajwadi” jibe, adding that “dynastic politics is the biggest threat to and biggest enemy of democracy”.
“If you listen to our [Bharatiya Janata Party] economic principles since the days of the Jan Sangh, we have faith in the people, on their capabilities, and the government policies should give them opportunities. We are making such policies that they get maximum opportunity. This is our view that the government has no business to do business. How does it connect with socialism? This is against socialism,” he said.
When asked if the BJP had turned socialist in its views, he said, “The government’s job is to care for the poor, ensure food, toilet, houses, clean drinking water, roads for people. The government’s job is to care for the poor if they are sick. The job of the government is to see how the produce of small farmers will reach markets. My priority is to provide all this. If someone calls it samjwad, it is acceptable to me.”
The PM referred to socialist leaders Ram Manohar Lohia and George Fernandes, asking if they ever laid thrust on families. “I am for the society. When I say fake socialism, it is parivarwad. Do you see Lohia’s family anywhere, he was socialist; do you see the family of George Fernandes, he was also a samajwadi. Nitish Babu is working with us, he is also a socialist. Do you see his family?”
In a barb at Samjwadi Party (SP) led by Akhilesh Yadav, he said they laid thrust on “my family”. “Someone sent me a letter once, stating that in Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, 45 people from the Akhilesh Yadav family, were holding various positions. Someone else told me all those of around 25 years of age got a chance to contest the elections.”
He said in dynastic parties, positions like the president, parliamentary board chief are held by a person and if the person is not there for some reason, his son replaces him. “Dynastic politics prevails in parties in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. The family runs the party. This is a big danger to democracy as it negates the basic norms… The biggest casualty in such parties is talent. Dynastic politics stops youth from entering politics.”
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