The Congress on Sunday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that his image as the prime minister had not been created by the 'Khan Market gang', and could not be 'dismantled'. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interview with The Indian Express published on Sunday has garnered a wide range of reactions from activists and journalists. Modi, in reference to the posh Khan Market area in New Delhi, said that his "image" as the Prime Minister had not been built by the "Khan Market gang" and hence could not be "dismantled". The prime minister was referring to the Lutyens' politicians. "Modi’s image has not been created by the Khan Market gang, or Lutyens Delhi, but 45 years of his toil… good or bad. You cannot dismantle it. But Lutyens and the Khan Market gang created an image for a former Prime Minister, ‘Mr Clean, Mr Clean’." Congress' national spokesperson Sanjay Jha, known for witty one-liners, tweeted, "Khan Market. I guess he doesn't like the name." Jha's tweet is likely to be in reference to one of the Opposition's accusations against Modi, that the communal divide in the country has increased over the last five years that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government has been in power at the Centre. Modi was speaking in reference to the current controversy around his comments on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, when he called the late Congress leader "Corrupt No 1". The prime minister's comment was also in criticism of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's comment in an interview recently. Rahul had said, "The prime minister can’t stand on a stage and say the things he was saying in 2014. We have dismantled the Prime Minister of India." Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi spoke to reporters after casting her vote in the sixth phase of the Lok Sabha election on Sunday, and said that if Modi had even meditated for 50 hours, "he would not be saying things like this." Activist Jignesh Mevani said Modi has a problem with "liberal bourgeoisie" but industrialists like "Ambani, Adani, and Vedanta group" are Modi's "best friends". Now Modi has a problem with so-called ‘khan market gang’ as it is apparently the only real face of liberal bourgeoisie it seems Lekin apne best friends: Ambani, Adani aur Vedanta Gang ko poora desh bech daalna toh ‘pro-poor’ hai. https://t.co/DvOt7T8kzz — Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) May 12, 2019 Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai asked why Modi had made Delhi's elite community his "new enemy", because it is his "voter base". Very engaging, must read interview or PM @narendramodi in @IndianExpress . Although am not clear why the PM chooses to make ‘Khan Market’ crowd his new enemy now since that is his voter base.. time to strip of labels and start dialogue with all sir! https://t.co/VjboXmZrNT — Citizen/नागरिक/Dost Rajdeep (@sardesairajdeep) May 12, 2019 Author Krishan Partap Singh said that Modi's image had "actually" been created by the "Lodhi Garden morning walk gang". Actually Modi’s image was created by “Lodhi Garden morning walk gang”, just down the road from Khan Market... https://t.co/WoZkhZDvkn — Krishan Partap Singh (@RaisinaSeries) May 12, 2019 Author Ashok Swain said, "Khan Market is named in honor of Freedom fighter Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan, brother of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan - Modi, Change its name to Godse Market, in honor of terrorist Gopal Godse, brother of Nathuram Godse!" Swati Chaturvedi, senior journalist, also attempted humour in her response to the interview. She also tweeted, "So after “urban naxals” Khan market is the new enemy for Modi." Modi seemed pretty upset with the @IndianExpress apart from khan market — Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) May 12, 2019 When visiting Khan Market next, avoid cloudy days pic.twitter.com/5fPCw8xF0l — Jairaj Singh (@JairajSinghR) May 12, 2019 Others drew comparisons between the IE interview with Rahul and the one with Modi: I don’t know whose idea it is to get Rahul Gandhi to give relaxed interviews in daylight on the road or at rallies to reporters but it’s working well.Nice contrast with Mr. Modi’s imperial, formal interactions with movie stars & genuflecting big shots in controlled surroundings — vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) May 11, 2019 What shines through in this Modi interview by Indian Express is Modi’s disgust of his critics, of liberals and of any media that’s not willing to be his propaganda mouthpiece. Especially note his relentless attack on the Express itself. Unseemly. https://t.co/aErSml9ao2 — Shivam Vij (@DilliDurAst) May 12, 2019 Some senior journalists also criticised the paper for its treatment of the interview. Striking difference between Modi and Rahul’s interview in @IndianExpress. 6 column headline on page 1 plus a 2 page spread for Modi. Single column teaser plus a full page in Sunday paper for Rahul. Will Express explain the differential treatment? — nikhil wagle (@waglenikhil) May 12, 2019 Not a single follow up question. There are some probing questions on muslims and nationalism but he is allowed to get away with his half baked defence. No question on Pragya Thakur, lynchings, govt support to guj riot accused, press conference by PM. https://t.co/DkDnMprOlR — Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) May 12, 2019 Most notably, in an interview that spans various topics including taunts directed at the elite community in Khan Market, Modi spoke about his comments on Rajiv. After calling Rajiv "Corrupt No 1", Modi on 8 May, alleged that Rajiv used the now decommissioned naval warship INS Viraat as a “personal taxi”, during a 10-day trip to Bangaram island in Lakshadweep in 1987. Modi also accused the Gandhi family of compromising national security. In the interview, Modi said that he did speak against Opposition leaders in his campaign speeches unless there are remarks that "he has to respond to". Justifying his allegations against Rajiv over INS Viraat, he said that he had brought it up because Congress president Rahul Gandhi had implied that Modi was trying to use the Indian Army as his "personal property". "From where did this INS (Viraat) subject come? This is not a new issue that I wasn’t aware of. Why did it come? When the Congress president, at a press conference, says that the Army isn’t a personal jaagir (property) of Modi — all of you missed this —then I have to say what’s it like to have a personal fiefdom. "Rajiv Gandhi is not my issue. You are free to highlight Rajiv Gandhi, if you want to help him. It is your call. These things were reported by The Indian Express even then, these admirals did not step out then. Kehte hain ki baat niklegi toh dur talak jayegi (It’s said that when talk starts, you never know where it will end)," he said. Follow LIVE updates on sixth phase of Lok Sabha election here<doc-sep>PM Narendra Modi Interview: Modi said the tendency to judge governments on “one or two issues” is a “great injustice to Modi.” PM Narendra Modi Interview: Modi said the tendency to judge governments on “one or two issues” is a “great injustice to Modi.” WITH the elections, now in their last lap, turning out as a virtual referendum on his bid for a second term for the BJP in power at the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is framing the contest as one between the elite consensus of the “Khan Market gang” that he defeated in 2014 and his “45 years of tapasya.” This “gang”, he claimed, wants to “dismantle” him now and his reference to Rajiv Gandhi and his legacy, he said, should be seen in that context. “From where did this INS (Viraat) subject come? This is not a new issue that I wasn’t aware of. Why did it come? When the Congress president, at a press conference, says that the Army isn’t a personal jagirdari of Modi — all of you missed this — then I have to say what’s it like to have a personal fiefdom. Rajiv Gandhi is not my issue,” the Prime Minister told The Sunday Express. “Kehte hain ki baat niklegi toh door talak jayegi (It is said that when talk starts, you never know where it will end).” FULL TEXT | PM Narendra Modi’s Interview to The Indian Express Over 90 minutes at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence, Modi touched upon a range of issues: from his definition of nationalism and how that squares with freedom to dissent to the marginalisation of Muslims and how the media, in his opinion, needs to be saved from some of those who work there. Asked about his government’s legacy as compared to Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s, Modi said the tendency to judge governments on “one or two issues” is a “great injustice to Modi.” Narendra Modi Interview: This “Khan Market gang”, he claimed, wants to “dismantle” him now and his reference to Rajiv Gandhi and his legacy, he said, should be seen in that context. Narendra Modi Interview: This “Khan Market gang”, he claimed, wants to “dismantle” him now and his reference to Rajiv Gandhi and his legacy, he said, should be seen in that context. “Unfortunately, we have tried to identify governments with only one or two things and not in a holistic fashion. This creates a temptation for governments to do one or two things for being remembered. I want to build the country on multi-pillars,” he said. With BJP candidates across the country increasingly latching on to the image of Modi as the campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha enters the last stretch — the penultimate phase for 59 seats across seven states is Sunday — the Prime Minister claimed attempts by his opponents to “demolish” his image for electoral considerations will not succeed. Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Polling schedule, results date, constituency-wise election results, key candidates “He (Rahul Gandhi) said he wanted to dismantle Narendra Modi’s image. Inherent is to demolish my image anyhow. Modi ki chhavi, Delhi ke Khan Market ke gang ne nahi banayi hai, Lutyens Delhi ne nahi banayi hai. 45 saal ki Modi ki tapasya ne chhavi banayi hai...You cannot dismantle it,” Modi said. “In 2019, people are hopeful of the Congress and are saying that it is this organisation that is going to demolish Mr Narendra Modi, the BJP and the RSS,” Congress president Rahul Gandhi had told The Indian Express in an interview on May 5. When asked why the campaign, which started out on issues, had been reduced to one of personalities, Modi said that issues were “at the core of every debate” in the election. “For example, if we call an individual corrupt, if we mention cases of corruption under him, we are actually telling people that the Congress’s culture of corruption will return if we do not vote wisely…If we talk about leaders or parties insulting the Army, we are raising the issue of respecting institutions. If we expose the abuse and misuse of national resources by one family, we are highlighting the cost our nation has paid and will have to pay for the delusions of a dynasty that thinks power is a birthright and they are accountable to nobody,” Modi said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “He (Rahul Gandhi) said he wanted to dismantle Narendra Modi’s image. Inherent is to demolish my image anyhow.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “He (Rahul Gandhi) said he wanted to dismantle Narendra Modi’s image. Inherent is to demolish my image anyhow.” The elections, announced on March 10, have entered the last stretch with only 59 seats to go for polls after 59 seats go to polling on Sunday. The BJP which came to power with its historic best of a clear majority of 282 seats in 2014 entered elections after electoral setbacks in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan assembly elections at the hands of Congress in December last year. However, the opposition has not been able to forge a united front nationwide and has taken on the BJP with state-specific alliances. To conter this, the BJP has relied extensively upon the popularity of the Prime Minister.<doc-sep>With just one more phase to go for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to end, political leaders are busy reaching out to the media to get their messages across to the voters. Since he took charge five years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been criticised for failing to hold a single press conference and for barely speaking to the media – even during crucial events like his decision in 2016 to demonetise 86% of Indian currency. However, election season seems to have made Modi more willing to sit down for interviews. Over the last 40 days, the prime minister has given interviews to several newspapers and television channels. He has spoken on a range of subjects, from the manner in which he eats mangoes to his “raw wisdom” during the air strikes on Pakistan. Here are some of the interviews that have attracted attention.<doc-sep>
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that it is his “45 years of toil” and not the “Khan Market gang or Lutyens Delhi” that has created his image, and it cannot be dismantled, The Indian Express reported on Sunday. Khan Market is one of Delhi’s poshest localities. Modi took the jibe at the elite class in an interview with the newspaper. Modi claimed the inherent feeling for Congress President Rahul Gandhi is to dismantle the prime minister’s image anyhow. He was referring to Gandhi’s interview to NDTV earlier this month in which he claimed that Modi’s clean image has been shattered because of the controversy surrounding the Rafale jet deal. “The prime minister can’t stand on a stage and say the things he was saying in 2014. We have dismantled the Prime Minister of India,” Gandhi had claimed in the interview. Modi criticised Gandhi for the comment. “Modi’s image has not been created by the Khan Market gang, or Lutyens Delhi, but 45 years of his toil… good or bad,” the prime minister told The Indian Express in an interview. “You cannot dismantle it. But Lutyens and the Khan Market gang created an image for a former Prime Minister [Rajiv Gandhi], ‘Mr Clean, Mr Clean’; how did it end up?” In his interview, Modi defended making the allegation that Rajiv Gandhi had used a naval ship for a family holiday. He said that it was a response to a statement by Rahul Gandhi at a press conference that “the Army isn’t a personal jaagir [property] of Modi”. “Then I have to say what’s it like to have a personal fiefdom,” Modi said. The allegation was not new, and was reported even earlier, but admirals did not speak out then, Modi said. Modi was referring to former Chief of Navy Retired Admiral L Ramdas who on Thursday had refuted Modi’s claim, saying that Rajiv Gandhi and his wife Sonia Gandhi were on board the warship to visit Lakshadweep to chair a meeting of the Islands Development Authority in December 1987. Referring to the criticism he faced after calling Rajiv Gandhi “corrupt no.1”, Modi said, “You tell me, ‘chor’ [thief] has been a democratic word for the last one year but ‘corrupt’ is a derogatory word for you. What is this dictionary of yours? All I said publicly was that Rajiv Gandhi passed away with this kind of image.” The prime minister said demonetisation was a measure against corruption and to crack down on black money. “Through our initiatives against black money, have we not brought undisclosed income of Rs 1.30 lakh crore to tax? Have 3.38 lakh shell companies not been detected and de-registered? Have their directors not been disqualified?” he said. Modi said those who played the politics of vote bank used Muslims to seek votes but did not bring them into the mainstream. “These MPs/MLAs who call themselves secular, have they given leadership to any Muslim?” Modi told the newspaper. “Rahul Gandhi is Congress president. Can’t a Muslim get that job? Why did he not ensure that?” Modi also said the way ahead with Pakistan depends on Islamabad’s action against terrorism.