US DEFENCE SECY TO VISIT INDIA
The sale of US-made Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles and an American offer to build single-engine fighter planes in the country are likely to be the chief talking points during US defence secretary Jim Mattis’ three-day visit to India next week, sources said on Saturday. Mattis’ visit will be the first Cabinet-level visit to India under the Trump administration.
VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday the BJP did not believe in vote bank politics as the country was above party politics.
On the second day of his visit to his Varanasi parliamentary constituency, Modi told a gathering that he had launched a major war against corruption and the corrupt to ease the life of the common man.
He said most of the problems faced by the common people in India were rooted in corruption.
“I have launched a war against it and will take it further to ensure that graft is weeded out from the country.”
Attacking political rivals, the PM said the opposition parties worked to strengthen their vote bank but the BJP preferred development to votes.
“They (opposition parties) carry out development work only to strengthen their vote bank but we were brought up with different ‘sanskars’. Our priorities are different,” Modi said.
“Hamare liye dal se bada desh hai, isiliye hamari prathamiktayen vote ke hisab se nahi hoti (We keep nation above the party, therefore, vote bank is not our priority). Stressing on the importance of cleanliness, he said said “swacchta has to become ‘swabhav’ (habit) to achieve the goal of a clean India”.