Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said age was just a number for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he should continue to lead the country till he has the capacity.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave, Fadnavis attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, saying he was "irrelevant to the youth and Gen Z", adding that those who think what happened in Nepal will happen here, should go to the neighbouring country.
PM Modi turned 75 on September 17. He is the third longest serving prime minister of India after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and second in terms of an uninterrupted tenure.
Describing Modi as a visionary and efficient leader, Fadnavis said, "Age is just a number for him considering his physical and mental capability. When does the age factor matter - when your physical and mental capacities reduce...But that is not the case with PM Modi. He should continue to lead us till he has the capacity." Talking about himself, the CM said being a Brahmin does not pose a hurdle in his political path and his future will be decided by the BJP.
"Entire Maharashtra knows my caste and they have accepted me. In 2014, PM Narendra Modi handed me the reins of the state and for three subsequent elections, BJP under me has won more than 100 seats. So the caste issue, which was considered negative in politics, is settled," he said.
When asked whether he would take up any role at the national level, Fadnavis said he will continue to lead the state for the current term of five years, after which the party will decide about his future.
To a query about the recent "Devabhau" advertisements in newspapers, he said the BJP published it to show that the state was functioning as per the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
"What did the advertisement show? That I am offering floral tributes to the legendary warrior king who didn't discriminate against any community. Marathas were given their due in reservation and the OBC quota wasn't touched," he said.
"Why are our political rivals uncomfortable?" he asked.
Full-page newspaper advertisements featuring only Fadnavis were published on September 6 - the last day of the Ganesh festival - generating a lot of curiosity in political circles as there was no mention of the person or group who sponsored it.
On being asked if the advertisement showed that he was all alone in his path, the CM said he was never alone and he has the shield of BJP with him.
The CM said he does not run away from challenges and takes them head on.
"If the Maratha quota issue was a challenge some days ago, now it is the massive rains and floods. That's the beauty of governance and democracy. No issue is permanently settled in politics," he said.
Replying to a query on Rahul Gandhi's X post on 'Gen Z', Fadnavis said the Congress leader was irrelevant to the youth and Gen Z.
"India's Gen Z is involved in the start-up ecosystem, engineers in AI...They are in Silicon Valley. India's Gen Z thinks differently. Those who think what happened in Nepal will happen here should go to the neighbouring country," Fadnavis said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha last week launched his fresh offensive against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and reiterated his "vote chori" allegations. In a post on X, he said, "The nation's youth, the nation's students, the nation's Gen Z, will defend the Constitution, protect democracy, and stop vote theft. I always stand with them. Jai Hind!" Fadnavis also said just like the non-creamy layer in OBC reservation, there will be sub-classification in Scheduled Caste (SC) as well. "A committee has been set up to work on it," he said.
Referring to his alliance partners and deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis said all three of them were seasoned leaders and understood the limits of coalition politics.
"They can keep their aspirations and there is no harm in it. In our alliance, BJP is the strong centre pole which keeps the coalition together. In the MVA, all three parties considered themselves equal and hence it didn't last," he said.
The BJP will face the 2029 Maharashtra assembly polls in alliance with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.
"In politics nothing is impossible but there will be no change in allies," he said.
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When asked about his name doing rounds for the post of BJP president, he said it was only being talked about in media circles.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave, Fadnavis attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, saying he was "irrelevant to the youth and Gen Z", adding that those who think what happened in Nepal will happen here, should go to the neighbouring country.
PM Modi turned 75 on September 17. He is the third longest serving prime minister of India after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and second in terms of an uninterrupted tenure.
Describing Modi as a visionary and efficient leader, Fadnavis said, "Age is just a number for him considering his physical and mental capability. When does the age factor matter - when your physical and mental capacities reduce...But that is not the case with PM Modi. He should continue to lead us till he has the capacity." Talking about himself, the CM said being a Brahmin does not pose a hurdle in his political path and his future will be decided by the BJP.
"Entire Maharashtra knows my caste and they have accepted me. In 2014, PM Narendra Modi handed me the reins of the state and for three subsequent elections, BJP under me has won more than 100 seats. So the caste issue, which was considered negative in politics, is settled," he said.
When asked whether he would take up any role at the national level, Fadnavis said he will continue to lead the state for the current term of five years, after which the party will decide about his future.
To a query about the recent "Devabhau" advertisements in newspapers, he said the BJP published it to show that the state was functioning as per the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
"What did the advertisement show? That I am offering floral tributes to the legendary warrior king who didn't discriminate against any community. Marathas were given their due in reservation and the OBC quota wasn't touched," he said.
"Why are our political rivals uncomfortable?" he asked.
Full-page newspaper advertisements featuring only Fadnavis were published on September 6 - the last day of the Ganesh festival - generating a lot of curiosity in political circles as there was no mention of the person or group who sponsored it.
On being asked if the advertisement showed that he was all alone in his path, the CM said he was never alone and he has the shield of BJP with him.
The CM said he does not run away from challenges and takes them head on.
"If the Maratha quota issue was a challenge some days ago, now it is the massive rains and floods. That's the beauty of governance and democracy. No issue is permanently settled in politics," he said.
Replying to a query on Rahul Gandhi's X post on 'Gen Z', Fadnavis said the Congress leader was irrelevant to the youth and Gen Z.
"India's Gen Z is involved in the start-up ecosystem, engineers in AI...They are in Silicon Valley. India's Gen Z thinks differently. Those who think what happened in Nepal will happen here should go to the neighbouring country," Fadnavis said.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha last week launched his fresh offensive against the Election Commission of India (ECI) and reiterated his "vote chori" allegations. In a post on X, he said, "The nation's youth, the nation's students, the nation's Gen Z, will defend the Constitution, protect democracy, and stop vote theft. I always stand with them. Jai Hind!" Fadnavis also said just like the non-creamy layer in OBC reservation, there will be sub-classification in Scheduled Caste (SC) as well. "A committee has been set up to work on it," he said.
Referring to his alliance partners and deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, Fadnavis said all three of them were seasoned leaders and understood the limits of coalition politics.
"They can keep their aspirations and there is no harm in it. In our alliance, BJP is the strong centre pole which keeps the coalition together. In the MVA, all three parties considered themselves equal and hence it didn't last," he said.
The BJP will face the 2029 Maharashtra assembly polls in alliance with Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.
"In politics nothing is impossible but there will be no change in allies," he said.
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