Law must take its own course:Modi on Vadra

As Priyanka Gandhi stepped up her offensive against BJP over allegations about her husband Robert Vadra, Narendra Modi said today that he did not believe in politics of vendetta but the law must take its own course.

Asked about how allegations against Vadra would be dealt with it in the event of his coming to power, the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate said he did not believe in politics of vendetta and witch-hunting of which he himself had been a "victim" for the last 10 years.

At the same time, nobody was above law and if somebody had done something wrong, the law must take its own course.

"But that has to happen in an institutional manner as per the due process without interference from any quarter. Such actions should never be guided by political considerations," Modi told PTI.

Anwsering a question about recent attacks on him by Priyanka who had accused him of humiliating her family, he said, "It is natural that a daughter would like to defend her mother. A sister would like to defend her brother. I do not have any problems with that."

Asked which one was the "real Modi"--a strong willed and decisive leader or a divisive and authoritarian one, the Gujarat Chief Minister said that for those who had seen him closely and worked with him believed that he was strong willed and decisive.

However, some people for reasons best known to them had decided to judge him not on what he was and not on his work but "on the basis of perception created about me by certain vested interests and my political opponents". At times, he wondered why was there "this constant attempt to portray me in a particular manner".

Modi asserted that his opponents had not been able to find any serious allegations of corruption, nepotism or incompetence against him.

"They have found no substantive issues to target me. Thus, it seems they resort to vague, non-specific and subjective things like saying that I am authoritarian, jingostic, divisive etc," he said.

About his prospects in the current Lok Sabha elections, Modi replied," As of now I firmly believe that the BJP with its pre-poll NDA partners is going to get the required numbers to form a government at the Centre".

He was also asked if he would reach out to three powerful regional leaders Mamata Banerjee, Jayalalithaa and Mayawati who had been critical of him during the campaign but whose support he may need after the poll results were out.

Modi replied, "We are sure that we will get the numbers to run the government. However, we will need everyone's support and cooperation to run the country".

Accusing Congress of "trying to hide in the bunker of secularism", Modi said that it was fighting for its survival with even a 100-seat mark in the new Lok Sabha appearing "an uphill task for it".

Reacting sharply to Congress President Sonia Gandhi's accusation that his election campaign was a "dangerous combination of religious fanaticism, power and money", he said, "faced with certain defeat, fighting for its survival it is once again trying to hide in the bunker of secularism.

"Its last hope is to somehow cross the 100-seat mark which now appears an uphill task for it," Modi said.

Responding to Sonia's dig that he was promising to make India a paradise, he said, "I have never claimed that I will make India a paradise and that I have solutions to all problems. I am sure even people do not expect this from me."

People of India were not looking forward to miracles but "they certainly deserve a stable, decisive and sensitive government," he added.