So far as the government is concerned, there is only one holy book, which is the constitution of India. The unity and the integrity of the country are the topmost priorities. All religions and all communities have the same rights, and it is my responsibility to ensure their complete and total protection. My government will not tolerate or accept any discrimination based on caste, creed and religion.
I would especially like to appeal to my country's media that we should stop looking at everything in India from the prism of Pakistan. India is an independent country. It is a country of 125 crore people. Whenever it approaches any country, it will only be concerned about its own interests. It has been our biggest shortcoming and mistake that we have been tagging ourselves with another country and trying to do things.
I believe Raghuram Rajan's patriotism is no less than any of ours. As much as I know Raghuram Rajan, whatever post he holds, wherever he is, he is someone who will continue to serve the country.
Just because India is a large country, we cannot be arrogant and think that we can ignore others. We live in a different era.
The biggest thing is that the people of the country have faith. That trust should never break. The public should have faith that this is the government they elected, and it's trying to work for their welfare with honesty and commitment. That's the biggest thing. If I can win the confidence of the people of India - not from my speeches - but by actions, then the power of 1.25 billion Indians will come together to take the country forward.
I can't leave India helpless. This responsibility must be taken and I will continue to do so. For all good and bad things, it is my responsibility. I do not regret anything. I believe, people of the country have given me the responsibility and I must fulfill it.
The 21st Century should be India's century but from 2004 to 2014 bad ideas and bad actions have affected the country adversely. Every day was a new bad day and there were new scandals. People were furious.
We shouldn't consider smaller countries insignificant. I abide by this principle.
India does not need to become anything else. India must become only India. This is a country that once upon a time was called 'the golden bird'. We have fallen from where we were before. But now we have the chance to rise again. If you see the details of the last five or ten centuries, you will see that India and China have grown at similar paces. Their contributions to global GDP have risen in parallel, and fallen in parallel. Today's era once again belongs to Asia. India and China are both growing rapidly, together. That is why India needs to remain India.
We live in an inter-dependent world. An isolated India is not in our interest. Just because we are a large country, we cannot be arrogant and think that we can ignore others. We live in a different era. Terrorism is global and can come from even remote countries. International summits and organizations like WTO take decisions which will bind us and if we are not present in such summits, we may be hurt by the decisions taken.
My only aim is the welfare of the poor of my country and the poor of states like Uttar Pradesh.
India is a country of 1.25 billion people. We can't run our country if we get worried about every small thing. At the same time, we can't close our eyes to problems. That's why India maintains that we are now in a different era. We are not living in the eighteenth century. China is also a country with an ancient cultural heritage. Look at how it has focused on economic development. It's hardly the sign of a country that wants to be isolated. It wants to stay connected.
When you bring in multi-brand retail items into the country, you're not just bringing the products, but you're also harming local manufacturers. You must strengthen your manufacturing sector and put it on a level playing field with the world. Any kind of items manufactured globally, like small pens, pencils, notebooks - our manufactured goods need to be on a level playing field. Then let them come. Have a competition.
You will see India as a country of opportunities, unmatched across the world. India can be a role model of growth and cohesiveness for the rest of the world.
The Ayodhya judgment will work as a catalyst to maintain peace and unity in the country. This judgment has given a respect to belief and self esteem of the people of India, and it should be linked to self esteem of the country.
Self-certification may look like a small vision but there cannot be a greater decision for a Government to trust the honesty of the 1.25 billion people of the country.
The spirit of sacrifice and selflessness of the defence forces is an inspiration for all Indians. Strong armed forces are necessary for an atmosphere of peace, amity, harmony and brotherhood in the country.
We weren't lucky enough to sacrifice our lives for our country, but at least we can live for our country!
Our ancestors had displayed great strengths in space science. What people like Aryabhata had said centuries ago are being recognised by science today. We are a country which had these capabilities. We need to regain them.
Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan served this country well, he did not celebrate his birthday, he celebrated it for teachers.
It is easy to turn a scooter, but not a train with 40 bogeys. This is such a big country, changes are constant and widespread.
The spread of yoga is the symbol of a changing world. It represents a world where knowledge flows, without restriction of country, creed or class. It represents a world where people come together across boundaries, for causes and concerns that unite the planet.
Our country talks a lot on corruption. Everyone advices each other over how to stay away from it. Even those people who are corrupt tend to give advice to others on how to deal with corruption.
At G-20 summit, I worked with US and other countries to bring black money back.
The work to eradicate corruption must begin from the top. It is spread like termite in our country. We have to work at all levels to eradicate corruption
