Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram speaks during an interview with Reuters in New Delhi on October 7
After terming Narendra Modi's claims on growth during the NDA regime as a "fake encounter of facts", Finance Minister P Chidambaram again targeted BJP's prime ministerial candidate, saying the hype surrounding him was "largely media created". But the minister, in an exclusive interview to news agency Reuters, also conceded that the Gujarat Chief Minister had "gained some traction among the urban youth", while also managing to unite "the rank and file of BJP".
Here are the some of the highlights of the interview:- I don't know if he (Narendra Modi) is gaining any momentum
- I concede he (Narendra Modi) has united the rank and file of BJP... leaders are divided but the rank and file have been united... He has been able to unite the rank and file
- That will be a gross exaggeration that people are not worried about his position, policies, past and his track record... It will be a gross exaggeration to say that he (Narendra Modi) is sweeping the countryside, gross exaggeration to say he will win in every state... All this is largely media created
- In 2004, nobody gave us a chance... people said Mr Vajpayee will be back in power... don't think Narendra Modi is bigger than Vajpayee in terms of image and acceptability
- Mr Vajpayee was sitting PM seeking re-election... his party lost... we had not even named a PM candidate at that time
- Don't write us off early... we aren't facing a Vajpayee today, facing a Narendra Modi who has a very, very checkered track record
- Gujarat ranks only 12 in this country according to the Raghuram Rajan committee report
- I don't think that Narendra Modi is a stronger candidate than either Vajpayee or Advani
- I don't deny that corruption is an issue. But it is an issue in Chhattisgarh, MP, was an issue in Karnataka, is an issue in Gujarat
- There is a slowdown today but there was a slowdown in 2009 also
- They criticise us for introducing a bill... look at the bill they have passed in the Gujarat assembly, completely shutting out the chief justice
- We (Congress) haven't joined them (BJP) in debate yet, debate will not take place in Hindi alone... Debate will happen in Tamil, Telegu, Assamese, Bengali... and then you will see the difference