“Whether some may like it or not, I am still the farmer that I was born as and will continue to be one.”
“I am fully aware that everybody has a right to succeed, and success should be with ethics.”
“Have you seen a marathon race? Some runners will be leading right from the first – but after the halfway mark, it is the runners at the back who take over while the early leaders fade out.”
“In my long innings, I have seen many sunrises and many sunsets; many good and bad times.”
“We will primarily focus on affordable housing, water supply and transport infrastructure, as these are critical for Mumbai. Infrastructure deficit is an issue in all urban areas.”
“One has to swallow a bitter pill to get cured.”
“Every election is hectic.”
“In politics one should not expect big jumps. Everything takes time.”
“Sharad Pawar is paying tax.”
“BJP is a national party which runs the central government, and if I can take a decision on the future of all these parties, I must be a capable person. I am grateful that everybody is accepting my capability.”
“Government should make tough decisions in the larger national interests, even if it upsets the people.”
“Sena under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray has failed. It is a party on the decline, and that decline started the day Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was formed.”
“In agriculture, whatever you plan and execute takes 2-3 years to have an impact.”
“I have completed 43 years in politics and have been a minister of state, chief minister, and a Cabinet minister. A person who survives so many years is bound to face some attacks. It doesn’t affect me because I know the truth.”
“If an industrialist can sell his products anywhere in India and the world, why should a farmer not be allowed to do so?”
“Who knows controversies better than me? The controversies always chase people who are active and decision makers.”
“I have been to China. I noticed that wherever you went, you could ask an ordinary citizen, and he would explain, in detail, about free markets and all the other jargon of liberalisation.”
“Empowering women leads to a more inclusive growth of society and the nation.”
“I feel proud when a player from Jammu and Kashmir plays for India. This shows cricket has reached all corners of the country.”
“I was never sent to Kashmir on any secret mission. I want to make that position clear.”
“I entered politics in 1967; since then, continuously, I am getting elected… Fortunately I never lost the elections.”
“We want those responsible for the attack on Zee TV to be arrested and punished.”
“I could never muster the courage to speak to girls in my college in Pune. Most of them were Parsis and spoke English. I came from a village and could barely converse in English.”
“I was leader of the Opposition when Vajpayee was PM. We attacked policies, not personalities, neither inside or outside the House.”
“More and more agricultural land is being used for non-agricultural purposes. Whether it’s any industry, express highway, or expansion of any city, agricultural land is being used.”
“The agriculture ministry has to see that their good research percolates down to the fields through the state agricultural departments and the 70-odd state agricultural universities.”
“I am worried about development in the field of information technology, communication, etc. So you cannot say that I have become inactive.”
“I might be popular, but that is not sufficient in a parliamentary democracy set-up. One has to assess every chief minister, his success and rating in terms of how far he has succeeded in developing his colleagues.”
“How can any person with a myopic view and harbouring intense parochial attitude even think of leading the nation?”
“Marriage is no substitute for political experience.”
“Emotionally, a person is tied to the land of his birth. It’s only human.”
“Whatever I feel, I say frankly.”
“The Gandhi family has a tradition of being good hosts. When you call upon them, they treat you with a lot of respect.”
“I didn’t leave the Congress; I was expelled.”
“The Congress is a power-oriented party.”
“I am used to controversies.”
“I think criticism of good work should stop somewhere.”
“Globally, the highest number of irrigation projects are in India, and within the country, the highest number is in Maharashtra.”
“I have been worried about the future of Mumbai. It is the financial capital, an economic powerhouse that earlier had the highest air traffic, high port traffic, and strong industrial and manufacturing sectors.”
“One should not treat investors or a person who has set up an industry and is a successful businessman as criminals in this country. I am fully aware that everybody has a right to succeed, and success should be with ethics.”
“Our policies for increasing agricultural production and productivity have been scale neutral; that is, our policies are equally effective irrespective of the size of the holdings.”
“I am from Maharashtra, and the RSS headquarter is here, so I know a little about it.”
“Mr. Modi has to take instructions from Nagpur, and whatever Nagpur says, he will do.”
“People want development, modern thinking. They want to encourage and support research in agriculture and other fields.”
“It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the House functions.”
“Dialogue is the essence of parliamentary politics.”
“Without dialogue, you cannot run parliament. You have to interact.”
“If a politician is a successful administrator, certainly he has got every right to administer cricket.”
“Indian cricketers need more exposure, and as cricket administrators, we need to beef up the domestic circuit. Only then will fresh talent come up.”
“When I was agriculture minister, we drafted specific policies to tackle the agrarian crisis.”
“Modi has been the Gujarat chief minister for more than a decade, but there is a vast difference between controlling a state and leading a nation.”
“The AICC is full of sycophants, nothing else.”
“I had quit the Congress to form the Progressive Democratic Front in 1978.”
“Infrastructure deficit is an issue in all urban areas.”
“Thackeray is an institution that cannot become irrelevant because of one election.”
“People don’t understand complex issues.”
“If prices drop, we have to protect farmers from distress; if prices rise, we should be ready to pay market rates.”
“The government under Manmohan Singh is treating all political partners in a dignified manner.”
“False perceptions are being created about me without an iota of proof.”
“Women have a better understanding of social issues, and better representation gives them an opportunity to address these issues.”
“I have always believed in cordial relationship with political parties and their leaders.”
“Our party is united. At times, some people may have disagreements and leave, but it is not a big issue.”
“As far as my involvement in the Bajaj family affairs is concerned, it is a friendly gesture.”
“Normally, I work 18 hours a day.”
“During election time, I work over 21 hours. My day starts around 6 A.M., and I address meetings through the day. Between 10 P.M. and 2 A.M., I meet local leaders, where we discuss local issues and local problems.”
“In the Congress, for every small thing, you have to consult the general secretaries.”
“In politics, acceptability plays very important role. On one hand, acceptability among the coalition partners is required for smooth functioning of the government. On the other hand, acceptability among the people is needed to run the country.”
“I believe in decentralized democracy.”
“Yes, Vajpayee and Advani are very clever speakers, but that does not mean everything they say is true.”
“If my son enters politics, I will be able to guide him. He too would have learnt a lot from watching me, so he is less likely to make mistakes.”
“This Sonia Gandhi thing should be seen in perspective – the people of India have an emotional attachment to the family. And why not? Three of the five Congress prime ministers belong to that family. The people empathise with the family name.”
“Ethanol is a long-term solution that will take time.”
“If I am a trader, and I know you have got ample stocks, why should I buy?”
“I still believe that a fight between two brothers should not destroy peace and harmony and bring trouble to the common man.”
“It was not a state secret that I would call on Thackeray. I was not hiding anything.”
“In 1978, when I was a non-Congress chief minister, we distributed surplus wheat among labourers. Later, when we visited a village, I asked a labourer whether he knew who sent the wheat. ‘Yes, Indiraji – only Indiraji helps the poor.’ Indiraji was a symbol for the weaker sections.”
“Running a government as chief minister and managing affairs of the nation are different things.”
“For running a country, team work is important, and the person at the helm has to enjoy teamwork.”
“I have always fought for farmers getting better prices.”
“In India, no one becomes prime minister before they are in their mid-70s.”
“I have been president of the Indian Kabbadi Association, and likewise, I have been associated with various other sports as well.”
“We have to be guided by the interest of society and the development of the state.”
“I am very active in the co-operative movement. I am very active in agro-industrial growth. I am taking up the issues of the farmers of India. I am active in the field of education.”
“Politics is all a matter of timing.”
“Sometimes sugarcane takes about 15 months to grow, and hence it is inappropriate to ask farmers to pay their crop loans in 12 months.”
“We want the media to enjoy its right of freedom.”
“Party politics must be transcended to resolve pressing issues like agrarian matters or other similar issues.”
“It is often remarked that I am very close to Mr. Modi. But when it comes to issues of national importance, I’ve never indulged in politics or considered whether the Prime Minister is from the opposition.”
“I met Lalit Modi in London once. He had apprehensions regarding coming back to India, as his security was withdrawn. He was not worried about cases filed against him.”
“I am not an expert in medical field.”
“My lower and upper teeth had to be removed.”
“Modi is dangerous for the country.”
“There is a psychology of Bombay.”
“When there is a calamity, don’t think about the party, think beyond the party.”
“One has to work quietly with lot of commitment.”
Leave a Reply