If I have committed any mistake, I apologise: Modi

December 20, 2012 08:02 pm | Updated November 17, 2021 02:27 am IST - Ahmedabad

Fresh from the hat-trick in Assembly polls, which pitchforked him in the BJP’s prime ministerial candidates’ race, Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said if he had committed any ‘mistake’, he seeks forgiveness from the people.

“If there has been a mistake somewhere. If I have erred somewhere, I seek apology from you, the six crore Gujaratis,” Mr. Modi said in a victory speech in Hindi, aiming to reach out to a wider audience.

Mr. Modi, who has always been under attack following the 2002 post-Godhara violence, made no mention of it in his 45-minute speech.

“You have given me power. Now you also give me your blessings so that I do not commit any mistake, no one is hurt and there is no mistake by me even unknowingly. When people, who are in fact God give their blessings, there is no possibility of a mistake,” the Gujarat Chief Minister said.

Analysts said Mr. Modi choosing to speak in Hindi when he has stuck to Gujarati during his entire election campaign may be signalling his national ambitions.

Taking potshots at his detractors, Mr. Modi said he does not need a certificate from anyone after “people have given me the biggest medal”.

As the cheering crowd shouted “PM-PM” for Mr. Modi, the BJP leader credited his victory to the six crore Gujaratis and his party saying that if he is able to serve Gujarat and take the state to a magnificent level, it was due to the collective strength of people and his party.

Mr. Modi said he will visit Delhi on December 27 for a day.

“Gujarat is a role model for the elections. The entire election was fought here on the plank of development. Gujarat has endorsed the plank of development and has voted accordingly....

“This victory is not the victory of Narendra Modi but of the six crore Gujaratis and those Indians, who aspire for prosperity and development. This is a victory of all those who wish the country’s good,” Mr. Modi said.

Thanking people profusely, Modi said that it is a victory for everyone, who wanted prosperity and development.

The 62-year-old chief minister, who has no dearth of detractors even within his party, was all humility on the day of victory, crediting the result to ‘Team BJP’

“This is not my strength. This is BJP’s strength. This is the Team BJP, this is Team Gujarat, which is serving you and I am just a small part of this team,” he said.

He stressed “party is like a mother. Whatever we are, it is because of the party. If the party is not there, we have no worth. It is the result of the hard work done by BJP in last 40-50 years that the party has emerged victorious“.

Mr. Modi urged people to take Gujarat to such a level of development that it could serve the nation.

“I am serving the country through six crore Gujaratis. We have to create such a Gujarat, which will fulfill the needs of other parts of the countries as well,” he said.

The Gujarat Chief Minister added that if the farmers of his state produce more foodgrains, it will feed the poor in the rest of the country, if a factory is built here, it will provide employment to the people from other parts.

“I want to tell every citizen of the country that they should build pressure for good governance and development,” he said, adding that politicians of the country should strive with honesty to fulfill the desires of people by eschewing from the practice of giving false slogans and making empty promises.

“If you wish then I will definitely visit Delhi on Dec 27 for a day,” Mr. Modi said as people shouted slogans hailing him as BJP’s next PM candidate.

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