PM Modi criticized the Congress manifesto stating that it had failed the economy completely.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hit out at the Congress party's manifesto, saying that it fails the aspirations of the young voters of the country.
Speaking in an interview with news agency ANI, the Prime Minister said that his vision for a developed India in 2047 aligned with the first-time voter of today who would be the biggest gainer from such a scale of development.
"The developed India that I am talking about, who has a simultaneous future with it? Those who are 20 years old today. This is the time frame of his entire life, in a way. He will be 40, 45 years old in 2047.
This means that the process of India's development and the process of his life are both the same. There is a golden opportunity for him. He is going to be the biggest beneficiary of 2047. This is what I am explaining to him that I am making your future. You join with me. And I believe that they will join," PM Modi said.
PM Modi criticized the Congress manifesto stating that it had failed the economy completely.
"This manifesto completely fails the economy. In a way, the manifesto of opposition, destroys the aspiration of the first time voter of the country. If you do the complete analysis, then the biggest loss is for the people who are less than 25 years old. This manifesto will destroy their future. I want to make their lives better. I want to give strength to innovation in the country," PM Modi said.
"The young generation thinks that our lives are getting better. Today, the data of my country is so cheap. The result of cheap data is that I have given strength to my youth to usher a digital revolution in the country. Today, I just met the gamers. They say, sir, we go to play in the country of the world. Data is so expensive there. We have so many opportunities for us in India" the PM added.
The PM also said there should be respect for tax payers in the country, adding that tax collection had seen a significant bump as people had faith in the government.
"There should be respect for tax payers. If they will keep abusing every taxpayer, then how will the country run? I don't understand what kind of thinking this is. In the last 10 years, the number of ITR file holders has increased by two times.
Earlier, less than 4 crore people used to file ITR. Today, more than 8 crore people are filing ITR. Tax collection has increased three times. That means earlier the net tax collection used to be 11 lakh crore. Today the net tax collection is 34 lakh crore. Why is this happening? It is because of trust. that the money he is giving is being used in the right place. For the sake of development, not for theft and looting. That is why he has come to give because of his faith," the PM said.
"I will also make a request to tax payers, that for the sake of the country, what can a tax payer do for a developed India? I will tell them that you should inspire at least three people who do not pay taxes to start paying taxes. And I explain to them that when I build a house for the poor, the bricks that are put in it, that is paid by some taxpayer. When I give free ration to a poor person, when he cooks food and feeds his children, then if any taxpayer thinks that he gave the tax, that led to a hungry child eating food, he will be happy to give the tax," he said.
The Prime Minister reiterated that his government was working towards making the country strong.
"Unfortunately, the political culture of the past was on how to make the family strong, how to not let anyone take away the roots of the family. Whereas, I am working with the aim of making the country strong. My government is working with that aim. And when the country is strong, everyone experiences its benefits. Where something is happening, we are working hard, we are doing it with honesty, these things have an impact," the PM said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)