A decisive leader isn’t necessarily a dictator, the Goa Chief Minister and staunch backer of the candidature of Narendra Modi as PM said even as he defended the ‘cult’ following that Modi has.
Speaking during a public interaction organised by a national television channel in Panaji, Manohar Parrikar was all out to defend his hero. “Decisive does not mean dictator. A decisive leader consults people and takes a decision and then does not waver,” the Goa Chief Minister said, even as he refuted claims that there will be less freedom in the event that Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister.
“A vibrant Indian democracy of today with 120 crore people would thwart such a prospect,” Parrikar said referring to suggestions that it would be a 70s like emergency situation in the country.
Parrikar was among the first BJP leaders to support Modi’s backing to be Prime Minister, event to the extent of calling party stalwart lK Advani as ‘rancid pickle’.He said that Modi’s assertive attitude was often misconstrued as “dictatorial”.
“There is a difference between assertive and dictatorial thing. As the area of his (Modi’s) operation increases there will be more consultation and more proper decision making,” Parrikar said. The BJP Chief Minister also drew parallels with the epic Ramayana to defend the cult like following that Modi has.
“Cult is not a new phenomenon to this country… You take it from Ramayana time. You will find (that) being led by one person was always liked by people,” Parrikar said, when asked why a cadre-based outfit like the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) was succumbing to Narendra Modi’s personality cult.
“One person or a small number of people should lead. If there are 200 people leading a country you will never get a solution. It is better to have one person... he can alone deal with it,” Parrikar said, backing Modi’s style of functioning.
“Indians have loved being led by individuals,” Parrikar justified adding that “if India today did not get a decisive leader, it may take to anarchy”.
He blamed the apparent lack of decisiveness displayed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which he said had resulted in erosion of people’s faith in leadership and that Parrikar squarely blamed the Opposition parties for raking up the issue of the 2002 Gujarat riots and placing the blame.
“Modi has to be very tight in his approach mainly because opponents were continuously trying to attack him. If you are continuously being attacked, you will obviously go into offensive position. The way there have been attempts to destroy him throughout 12 years, anyone will take offensive position,” said Parrikar.
Parrikar also defended the Gujarat chief minister’s constant refusal to apologise for the 2002 riots, claiming that “a person who is not responsible for an incident need not apologise”.