In chat session, Narendra Modi takes dig at media, votebank politics

Starting trouble marred the late night Google Hangout session with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi that had far too few Gujarati participants as compared to people from other states and NRIs.

The much-hyped session, which facilitates group video chat for up to 10 people at a time, was delayed by over 45 minutes owing to a technical glitch and sputtered to life with an address by Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn who anchored it.

Modi claimed to have received one lakh questions out of which he picked 14.

Incidentally, there was no question on the Naroda Patiya verdict in which a court sentenced a BJP MLA, among others.

"The word secular has been used and abused for votebank politics. Take the example of the 'microminority' of Parsis who are a happy community living in Gujarat today," Modi said in response to a query.

When Shivakumar, an NRI from Andhra Pradesh, hailed Modi and prodded him on the question of a US visa for him, the CM replied, "While your dream is that I visit the US, my dream is that we become so empowered that Americans queue up for visas one day." Modi also urged Gujaratis living in the US to vote through postal ballots for the upcoming elections in the state.

When a young DU law student asked Modi about his famous kurtas and diet, the CM said he loved khichdi. "I was poor and used to carry around a jhola and had to wash my own clothes. I tore off the sleeves, so I had less to wash and carry. But today, the Modi kurta has become a fashion statement even in the US and Europe."

Shilpa, a video editor from Bangalore, asked how he reacted to criticism by the media and activists. "I don't show any emotion as criticism is always welcome. I think if I am not there, how will the media feed itself," he said.

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