Noted economist Dr Amartya Sen today spoke to NDTV on thedebate surrounding his comment on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, saying that Bharatiya Janata Party leader Chandan Mitra had the right to say what he wanted about him. Mr Mitra had tweeted that Dr Sen should be stripped of his Bharat Ratna for his remarks against Mr Modi.
Following are the highlights from Dr Amartya Sen's interview to NDTV:
- I haven't endorsed the UPA government. There are thing to learn from Narendra Modi but I don't think he'll be a good PM.
- I don't regret what I have said. My remark was concerned only with Narendra Modi, not BJP.
- Surprised and disappointed at Chandan Mitra's statement.
- I have a right to say as an Indian citizen, I can talk about the kind of Prime Minister I want.
- Chandan Mitra has the right to say that Bharat Ratna should be stripped.
- Whether he can do it or not is unclear. He can express his view.
- I did not endorse the UPA government.
- I am learning new things about myself every time I open a newspaper
- I am learning new things about myself every time I open a newspaper
- My remark on Modi doesn't mean I'm endorsing the UPA government
- Had the opportunity of talking to LK Advani, Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha when I received my Bharat Ratna and Nobel prize
- Many things to learn from Narendra Modi but don't know if he can be PM or not
- Did not say anything about BJP, if that's how Chandan Mitra interpreted it
- It's not an ethical mistake
- I'm not saying I'm going to vote for BJP
- Being a Bengali, most of us don't vote for BJP
- Statement was only what it said, it was about Modi
- I don't regret the statement, it doesn't endorse the UPA
- Doing things targeting a particular community which is defined by their birth is wrong. You cannot justify that.
- It raises a question whether that kind of a vote-bank is the right thing to do.
- Congress also has policies aimed at getting Muslim support.
- Gujarat issue hasn't gone away from the legal point of view, many lives were lost.
- Not really bothered about whether Bharat Ratna is taken away from me or not.
- I'm proud of being an Indian. We have a tradition of secularism.
- I stand in long queues before entering any country. Don't mind standing in the same queue where my fellow countrymen are standing, it'll be a matter of pride
- 1984 riots is a crying shame, those guilty were not put to trial. Is Congress to be blamed for that? Absolutely. Is the blame being cleaned up with the passage of time? Not at all. Have I written about it extensively? Absolutely.
- We haven't had a political discussion yet. I do believe in argumentative Indian, I like to hear the arguments. On the basis of these arguments, I will decide.
- I don't want to express any point of view for who should be PM without listening to any arguments. I'm not a Prime Minister diviner.
- If poverty number falls from 22 to 12 but we still have one-third of women illiterate, one-fourth of men illiterate, no decent medical treatment, no matter what the poverty number is, I will say it is achievement enough.
- We're concerned with longevity, human health, education.
- Even after literacy rate going up, longevity rate going up, even after base poverty number goes down, is the picture still abysmal? Yes.
- I haven't seen any evidence that this new poverty line is a conspiracy. Poverty is not judged only by income. Life expectancy has gone up, has overtaken Bangladesh. Illiteracy base has come down. Poverty line debate distracts attention from the enormity of the subject and seriousness of the problem.