Clarifying his stance on the controversy in Karnataka over his remarks on Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has said his state is not "snatching" the aerospace company from anybody and is merely looking to develop a technology hub focusing on aerospace, drones, automobiles and satellites.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV which touched upon a variety of topics, the Telugu Desam Party chief also spoke about the role he has played in different alliances at the Centre, the differences between Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi, and whether he planned to elevate his son, Nara Lokesh, and give him a more prominent role.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister had recently proposed establishing a new greenfield Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in the state. This led to the Congress government being up in arms and saying the HAL establishments in Bengaluru and Tumakuru, where fighter jets, helicopters and aircraft like the LCA (light combat aircraft) Tejas are manufactured, cannot be relocated anywhere.
Asked about the controversy, Mr Naidu said, "I am not snatching it from anybody. I want to have a technology hub in Rayalaseema with a focus on aerospace, defence, electronics, automobile, drones and satellite. This is what I am working on within Andhra Pradesh. Why should they bother? I am asking (for) aerospace industries, both civil and defence. That is the future. We need more and more flights. We are importing... India will be the biggest country tomorrow by having aircraft (manufacturing) and everything. So, there is a lot of scope for development," he said.
'Right Man, Right Time'
Praising Narendra Modi for bringing in reforms, Mr Naidu, whose party has the second-highest number of Lok Sabha MPs in the ruling NDA, said the Prime Minister has made India proud and is the "right man at the right time".
"From 10th place, we are now the fourth-largest economy. We are fortunate, he wants to make India a developed nation by 2047 and we will achieve it, I am confident," he said.
Asked about the differences between former BJP Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whom he had also supported, and PM Modi, the chief minister - known as a 'kingmaker' - said, "Mr Vajpayee was a great statesman. PM Modi is a modern politician with the latest thinking... He is very composed, balanced, down-to-earth and is making India proud... That is where he is able to succeed. Both leaders are different, they are strong leaders who have done their best for this great nation," he said.
Mr Naidu also lauded the BJP for thinking ahead of the times.
"Narendra Modi is selecting leaders that are young, efficient, highly educated, and will deliver the right kind of leadership. Transformation is possible only with good leadership... Even if we create a good public policy, somebody has to execute it in its true spirit," he said, adding that the opposition, on the other hand, had winning elections as the only criterion.
Nara Lokesh Next In Line?
To a question on the elevation of his son Nara Lokesh, who is the general secretary of the TDP and also the minister for Human Resources Development (HRD), IT, Electronics and Real-Time Governance, Mr Naidu said his focus is on producing good leaders.
The TDP chief said he had asked his son, who is a Stanford and Carnegie Mellon graduate, whether he wanted to be a businessman or serve the people by joining politics.
"He decided and he has to prove it. He is proving it, he is working hard. Let him do it... Transformation is a continuous process, nobody can stop it. But producing good leaders is very important," he said.
