Modi: People will forgive mistakes if govt performs

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the people will forgive the "mistakes" of a government if it serves them well.

"When we get a mandate of five years, we must work on that and serve people selflessly. If we do that, then people will forgive our mistakes as well," said Modi while addressing the Indian diaspora in the United States and Canada through a video-conference from Gandhinagar. "Voters of India are large-hearted... when there is development, they forgive mistakes," he said.

"My definition of secularism is simple: 'India First'. Whatever you do, wherever you work, India should be the top priority for all its citizens," he said in his nearly hour-long speech in Hindi which was also telecast live on television channels. "The country is above all religions and ideologies," he added. "Nothing less than India's well-being should be our goal. And if this happens, secularism will automatically run in our blood," he added.

Modi's video-conference comes just a week after the Wharton India Economic Forum cancelled his keynote address because of opposition from some professors and students of the University of Pennsylvania. Modi did not mention the Wharton issue in his speech.

ALSO READ

30 yrs of marriage, few days to deportation to Pakistan

India pins hope on tactics that helped end past Chinese incursions

'Railway official was eyeing lucrative electrical post'

Pawan Bansal won't quit, Congress decides to weather new storm