Modi misses ‘critics’, alas, there are so few…

NEW DELHI: It is seldom that PM Modi opens up about how receptive he is to genuine criticism.

So, he was perhaps thinking aloud when he spoke in an interview to ‘Open’ magazine about his conviction that "for my own healthy development, I attach a big importance to criticism. And, I, with an honest mind, respect critics a lot."

He even went on to almost lament that the number of his critics are very few.

The Prime Minister, of course, drew a distinction between ‘allegation’ and criticism, underscoring that "for criticism, one has to do a lot of hard work and research.’’ And, ‘‘in today's fast-paced world, maybe people don't have time,’’ he pointed out in the interview on completing 20 years in power, first as Gujarat chief minister from 2001 and then as prime minister since 2014.

Dismissing what passes for criticism as mostly allegations, he says: "Mostly, people only level allegations, the people who play games about perception are more in number."

Incidentally, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi is at the top of the heap among Modi's detractors, and does not tire of criticising the PM incessantly, holding him personally responsible for every little anomaly.

POLITICAL DECEIT

In this context of perceived needless criticism, PM Modi accused the opposition of "intellectual dishonesty" and "political deceit," especially in its hauling of his government over the three farm laws.

Stoutly defending the laws, Modi said it is one thing if a political party makes a promise and is unable to deliver on it. But what is a "particularly undesirable" and "detestable" is that some of these parties made promises on the lines of the reforms enacted by his government and have now taken a U-turn and spread "the most malicious kind of misinformation.

Slamming his rivals, he said, "If you look at those who are opposing the pro-farmer reforms today, you will understand the real meaning of intellectual dishonesty and 'rajneetik dhokhadhadi' (political deceit). These were the same people who wrote letters to chief ministers asking them to do exactly the same thing that our government has done. These were the same people who wrote in their manifesto that they would enact the same reforms that we have brought."

"Yet, just because some other political party, blessed by the will of the people, is enacting the same reforms, they have taken a complete U-turn and in a brazen display of intellectual dishonesty, completely disregard what will benefit the farmers and only seek what they think will benefit them politically."

source https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/modi-misses-critics-alas-there-are-so-few