Will stick to principles even if we lose power, says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is under attack for his comments on cow vigilantism, on Thursday said the BJP will not compromise on its principles even if it has to sit in the Opposition.

Modi also said the BJP has faced more adversities in Independent India than the Congress during the British rule, and that no party made more sacrifices than the BJP, post freedom.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony for the new BJP headquarters at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg on Thursday morning, Modi said the BJP has set an example of how a party can run democratically without dynasty, which was seen as a veiled attack on the Congress’s Nehru-Gandhi family.

“The BJP will be the only party which has faced adversities since its birth. It faced difficulties at every turn and its every effort was seen in bad light. Even during the British times, the Congress party would not have faced so much adversity that we, our dedicated workers, have gone through in 50-60 years,” Modi said.

Party patriarch L K Advani, BJP chief Amit Shah, senior ministers Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley were present at the function. The party expects to shift from the present 11, Ashoka Road office to new premises in two years.