Committed to democracy; was not silent on Gujarat riots: Narendra Modi

April 16, 2014

Committed_to_democracy
New Delhi, Apr 16: A day after he asked Congress to account for its sins before it sought apology from him for the 2002 Gujarat riots, Narendra Modi on Wednesday clarified again, saying that he was never silent on the issue.

In an interview to a news agency, Modi said, “I was not silent, I answered every top journalist in the country from 2002-2007.”

“...but noticed there was no exercise to understand truth. It was an unknown entity causing conspiracies,” he added.

“Jitna kehna tha keh dia. Janata ki adalat say mai soney ki tarah niklaa hoon (I have said whatever needs to be said. I have come out as gold from people's court),” Modi said.

“(i)Jinkii gaadi vahaan atkii hai, unkii rozi roti chal rahi hai. (People who are earning their living from it are the ones who are stuck on the issue) I will remain committed to democracy,” he said.

He also spoke on his relationship with media post 2002 riots, Modi said, “If media would not have worked to malign Modi, who would know Modi today?”

On the fear among Muslims over his candidature from Varanasi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate said he is contesting from Varanasi not to defeat anyone but win hearts.

Modi said, “Not going there to defeat anyone, but to win hearts, Once I meet them all, they will love me.”

Expressing confidence in NDA's ability to cross the magic figure of 272, Modi said, “This will be the worst performance in Congress' history; BJP and NDA's best performance.”

On whether his government will constitute special courts to try criminal politicians, Modi said his government will request the Supreme Court to set up special courts. He added that creating special courts is a step that is not for vindictiveness or to slap cases on opponents.

“It is to clean the system,” he said.

With regards to the possibility of the BJP tying up with AIADMK, Modi said, “No, we haven't made bitter statements against each other. I don't believe there are any political untouchables.”

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News Network
December 16,2025

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman, during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with the Prime Minister outlining an eight-point vision covering key areas of cooperation.

Describing the meeting as “productive”, PM Modi said he shared a roadmap focused on trade and economy, fertilisers and agriculture, information technology, healthcare, infrastructure, critical and strategic minerals, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister praised King Abdullah II’s personal commitment to advancing India–Jordan relations, particularly as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

“Held productive discussions with His Majesty King Abdullah II in Amman. His personal commitment towards vibrant India-Jordan relations is noteworthy. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” PM Modi said.

The meeting took place at the Al Husseiniya Palace, where the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation, fertilisers and agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, and heritage.

The MEA said both leaders reaffirmed their united stand against terrorism.

PM Modi arrived in Amman earlier on Monday and was received by Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, who accorded him a formal welcome. Following the talks, King Abdullah II hosted a banquet dinner in honour of the Prime Minister, reflecting the warmth of bilateral ties.

Jordan is the first leg of PM Modi’s three-nation tour. From Amman, the Prime Minister will travel to Ethiopia at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, marking his first official visit to the African nation. The tour will conclude with a visit to Oman.

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News Network
December 6,2025

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New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.

Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:

1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest

Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.

The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.

2. Cap on Night Landings

Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.

Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.

3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty

Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.

This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.

4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave

Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.

Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.

Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.

5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring

Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.

This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.

The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.

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