Stop talking nonsense, PM tells BJP leaders
We should exercise restraint. On every topic, whoever is responsible should speak. If everybody starts making comments it will hurt country, party and our personal reputation, Modi tells MPs, MLAs
NEW DELHI: Fed up of unnecessary controversies that take away his time and energy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday ordered Bh ar a ti yaja nat aparty(bjp) leaders to restrain themselves while making statements.
The stinging rebuke comes as the party’s loose talkers have covered a wide range of subjects from terror and rape to Mahabharata and Darwin’s theory over the last six months.
In a video-conference with BJP MLAS and MPS across the country, Modi reminded them that their utterances were affecting their image as well as the party’s.
He didn’t hesitate to suggest that they were uttering nonsense too often. “We make mistakes and give ‘masala’ to the media... as if we are great social scientists and experts to analyse issues... the moment you see a camera you start speaking. So this half-baked stuff is picked up,” he said.
Modi said the leaders should not blame the media and when everybody starts speaking, the issue is diverted.
“It is not the fault of media. We should exercise restraint. On every topic, whoever is responsible should speak. If everybody starts making comments, the core issue will be diverted and it will hurt the country, party and our personal reputation,” he said.
“I have noticed that when we entered the Lok Sabha (in 2014), 8-10 MPS were in a regular habit of making comments. But when I talked to them, in last 3 years they have not made any remark that invites criticism to the party,” he added.
“Every time I switch on television, I see a BJP leader making one or the other statement. You need lessons on keeping quiet,” a party functionary had quoted the PM as saying.
At a party conclave in April last year, Mo di had issued a similar message, asking leaders to “practice the art of silence.” Taking a dig at the controversial statements by his partymen, he said, “The microphone is not a machine that forces people to speak.”
The new message had been warranted as the nation seethes over a spate of child rapes and murders, in which BJP leaders are seen as being soft on the accused.
The latest to enter a row was junior finance minister Santosh Gangwar who on Sunday said one “should not make such a big deal” if “one or two such cases are reported” from such a huge country.