On the eve of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Ahmedabad, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cited the visit as “world’s approval” of the absolute majority to the NDA government at the Centre. Speaking at the party conclave, the PM said, “What is the reason that Chinese President is coming to a city like Ahmedabad? Modi is not the reason. 125 crore Indians and full majority that they have given to this government is.”
Addressing a reception, along with party chief Amit Shah, on the outskirts of Gandhinagar, he observed, “For 30 years, the world was waiting for clear majority in India. They want to connect and work with India. Be it nations who are friends, formal friends or even those with whom we share love-hate relationship. All are eager to connect.”
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Modi said that Xi was the second-most important Chinese to visit India after Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang), who came 1,400-years-ago as a Buddhist pilgrim.
Ealier in the day, beginning his two-day Gujarat visit, Modi addressed the state’s BJP workers at the Ahmedabad airport where he did not make even a single mention of the byelection results in various states, including Gujarat. The BJP lost 3 of the 9 Assembly seats to the Congress in the bypolls.
At the reception outside the airport, Modi said that one of the reasons for his coming to Gujarat was Xi’s visit, emphasising that heads of foreign states should visit different states and cities of India since the country is full of diversity.
Modi said, “This is a good beginning. Foreign heads of states should also see small states of the country, (they should) also visit small cities (because) by only visiting Delhi one cannot understand entire Hindustan. This country is full of diversities.”
Commenting on the Centre-state relations, Modi stated that irrespective of the party in power in the states, their relations with the Centre should not be strained. “We are working with the Team India approach. For this, we need to make our federal structure strong. Only then will the country progress.”
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Even as the bypoll results announced on Tuesday gave the BJP a setback, Modi said, “There have been discussions about vision, big vision and grand vision. I only want to say that I am a small person and think about small people. By thinking small for small people I am trying to make them grow. Nobody was thinking about these small people.” He then cited the example of Jan Dhan Yojana, rescue efforts in Jammu & Kashmir and how he was the first Prime Minister to visit Nepal in 17 years.
Modi said that for the BJP workers, he was not the PM, but “Aapna Narendrabhai (Our Narendrabhai)”. Both Patel and Shah mentioned the work done by the NDA government in 100 days.
Modi, in turn, also praised the Anandiben Patel government. He said, “Many people tell me that Gujarat is doing better work for the welfare of the people than my government. This is what I call my success. I had mentioned before leaving Gujarat that I can be successful only when the state makes more progress in my absence.”
Modi thanked the Gujarat BJP and people of the state for felicitating him. He said that getting felicitated in one’s native land by those with whom he had worked for Gujarat for 14 long years was precious. Reminiscing his days in Gujarat government as chief minister, Modi said that his training during those years had provided him enough skills to lead the country.
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“A normal person (who had been the head of a small state) would get baffled to handle the affairs of such a big scale. But I have got such training (as Gujarat CM for 14 years) that I have been able to understand the basic issues of the country, the situation of different people and their problems in a short span of time quite naturally.
Parimal A Dabhi works with The Indian Express as Chief of Bureau, focusing on the state of Gujarat. Leveraging his seniority and access, Dabhi is recognized for his reporting on the complex interplay of law, politics, social justice, and governance within the region.
Expertise & Authority
Core Authority (Social Justice and Law): Dabhi is a key source for in-depth coverage of caste-based violence, discrimination, and the state's response to social movements, particularly those involving Patidar, Dalit and OBC communities. His reporting focuses on the societal and legal fallout of these issues:
Caste and Discrimination: He has reported extensively on social boycotts and instances of violence against Dalits (such as the attack on a Dalit wedding party in Patan), the community's demands (like refusing to pick carcasses), and the political responses from leaders like Jignesh Mevani.
Judicial and Legal Affairs: He tracks significant, high-stakes legal cases and judgments that set precedents in Gujarat, including the convictions under the stringent Gujarat Animal Preservation Act (cow slaughter), 2002 Gujarat riots and developments in cases involving former police officers facing charges of wrongful confinement and fake encounters.
Political and Administrative Oversight: Dabhi provides essential coverage of the inner workings of the state government and the opposition, ensuring a high degree of Trustworthiness in political analysis:
State Assembly Proceedings: He frequently reports directly from the Gujarat Assembly, covering Question Hour, discussion on various Bills, debates on budgetary demands for departments like Social Justice, and ministerial statements on issues like illegal mining, job quotas for locals, and satellite-based farm loss surveys.
Electoral Politics: His work details key political developments, including election analysis (voter turnout records), party organizational changes (like the end of C R Patil’s tenure as BJP chief), and campaign dynamics. ... Read More
