Network 18 Exclusive | Uplifting poor, waiving bills not revadi culture, freebies dangerous: Amit Shah

File Image: Union Minister Amit Shah

Providing support to raise the standard of living or make infrastructure is not 'revadi', Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday at a News18 show, Gujarat Adhiveshan, in the poll-bound state ahead of the Gujarat elections.

“Giving electricity is not a revadi, no bill is. Giving a house is not a revadi, but keeping it tax-free is. We gave free ration amid the pandemic because of the lingering slowdown after Covid affected the poor. If any section is affected because of a natural calamity, it is the government’s duty to help them. It is not revadi, it is support, raising their standard of living and giving infrastructure is important,'' Shah said in an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi.

The home minister attempted to make a distinction between uplifting the underprivileged and giving handouts on what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier described as 'revadi culture'.

Earlier in the year, PM Modi cautioned people against the 'revadi culture' of offering freebies for votes and said that it is “very dangerous” for the development of the country.

The PM used ‘revadi’, a popular north Indian sweet often distributed during festivals, as a metaphor for freebies being promised by various parties to grab power, and said that the people, especially the youth, should guard against this.

Also Read: Amit Shah highlights PM Modi's efforts to boost irrigation, drinking water supply in Gujarat

The home minister underscored India’s growing stature on the world stage under the Narendra Modi government by referencing the Russia-Ukraine war.

“As a long-time student of international affairs, I had never seen this before,” he said. “35,000 Indian students were stuck and Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to Russia and Ukraine that the fighting should stop for some time. And for 72 hours, there was a ceasefire," Shah told News18.

On the Russia-Ukraine standoff and whether India should act as a mediator on the same, Shah said that future decisions between Russia and Ukraine, will be based on 'diplomacy'.

When asked about the growing narrative of India not safe for minorities in the western media, Shah said that the Indian government will not provide any special favors to a specific group of people in the country. The BJP follows 'Justice for all, appeasement for none' dictum, added the home minister.

On matters of internal security, the home minister said that in Bihar and Jharkhand, government forces are fighting a decisive battle against 'Left-wing extremism', which is on its way out.

Also Read: Poll pitch: Be messengers of BJP, PM in villages, Amit Shah tells non-resident Gujaratis

Shah told News 18 that when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gets a majority in the upcoming Gujarat assembly elections, incumbent chief minister Bhupendra Patel will 'undoubtedly' return to the post.

Shah claimed that the ruling BJP will increase both its vote share and the number of seats by a record margin and will storm to power under the leadership of Bhupendra Patel. He also dismissed any chances of the Aam Aadmi Party making a major impact.

Shah added that he expects more seats from Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh in the south, and greater improvements in Odisha and West Bengal. “In 2024, we will retain power with an even greater tally than in 2019,” he said.

The Gujarat Assembly elections will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5, while the counting of votes will be conducted on December 8, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had announced, weeks after it announced polls to the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh House.

The term of the 182-member Gujarat Assembly ends on February 18 next year. In Gujarat, as per the electoral roll published on October 10, over 4.9 crore electors are registered, of which 4.04 lakh are PWD electors, over 9.8 lakh 80-plus senior citizens and 4.61 lakh first-time voters.