Modi alerts newly elected lawmakers against ministerial 'illusion'

New Delhi - The prime minister also warned MPs from speaking 'off the record' to the reporters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday alerted newly elected NDA MPs against getting into any ministerial trap as only a few of them can be given "the responsibilities."
Modi, before he was appointed Prime Minister of India for a second term by President Ram Nath Kovind, was addressing BJP-NDA MPs and leaders at the Central Hall of Parliament here. "All those who have won are mine. It doesn't make a difference to me. Only a few people can be given responsibilities," he said.
"I wish to say humbly that the names being circulated in media is just an attempt to create division, illusion, and rumours and for fulfilling their bad intentions. Don't be in any such illusion," he said, adding that these are "done according to some norms."
Taking a dig at media for speculating about his new Cabinet, Modi said: "I am yet to see who has won or not. But there are several Narendra Modis already born in this country and who have already formed their Cabinet."
"If we go by the media speculation, then there would be left only a few who do not become the ministers. We start thinking that since newspapers have published our names as prospective ministers, then we will certainly become ministers."
He urged the MPs not to believe in such speculations till the swearing-in-ceremony.
"If you are reading or seeing it on TV that you will become a minister, call them to stop it. Say you are ruining my prestige. Ministers are not made from the pages of newspapers. Nor ministries are run from there."
"Sometimes we tend to believe that we will become 'M.' Do remember that there are several competent people of our level. A worker inside us must remain alive. Arrogance will push people dear to us away from us," Prime Minister Modi said.
He also urged newly elected MPs not to get lured by the temptation of giving 'sound bytes' to TV media.
"Don't know what is there in those TV mikes that people open their mouth and start saying anything. And when you speak, their shop runs for 24-48 hours but our trouble gets amplified," said he.
"I am saying these things now in a neutral manner because once the parliament session begins, people will think I am saying it to them," he said.
Modi warned MPs not to be in any 'illusion' that the country is watching them while giving 'sound bite.' "Verify facts before giving reaction to any statement by anyone," he said.
"In the beginning, it will attract like some magnetic power, but gradually we become addicted to it. It is very necessary that we protect ourselves from such things," he said.
"They (media) need not be blamed. It is our desire (to give bytes) which puts us in trouble. So, we need to stay away from it because the country will not forgive us," Modi said.
He also warned MPs from speaking 'off the record' to the reporters.
"There is nothing in this world which is off the record. These days, you don't know which instrument is there in somebody's pocket," he said, in an apparent reference to spy cameras.
"No matter how hard you work. Somewhere in a corner, someone says something and the game is over. They (media) enjoy it because it is a large group which has been taken care of by someone else for 70 years. Why will they accept us? So, our complaint is not against them. We know it is their business. We have to take care of it," said Modi.
He also urged MPs not to be in any sort of illusion about their victory.
"People tend to get swayed over time that they won thanks to themselves. Please do not believe that you have won because of yourself. We do not win because of ourselves."
"Neither people of a certain class, religion or caste make us win nor did we win because of Modi. We win only because of the people of the country. Whatever we are, we are not because of Modi. We are what we are because of the people of the country," he said.

• India