Taking an apparent dig at the Congress without naming the party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asserted that the growth of a "true democratic spirit" within the political parties was necessary for the country's future, while telling the media to study the organisational structure and core values of parties and participate in a debate about their democratic strengths.
At the same time, he also acknowledged the emergence of divergent voices within the BJP, and attributed it to the vast expansion of the party. He was addressing the media at a Diwali Milan function at the BJP headquarters.
"I remember, when I was very young and not in the party. The Jana Sangh was very small and I was beginning to understand politics by reading newspaper. The sentiments of a low-rung cadre and the top leadership used to be similar, a kind of ideological acceptance. Today, we hear a lot of voices in our party. It may be because it has grown very vast and such intense training and communication is not possible now," he said.
He further said that funding to political parties was often debated but not their values, ideologies, internal democracy, and how they give opportunities to the new generation of leaders.
"Whether democratic values are a part of their (parties) core values or not should be debated widely. I believe that the development of a true democratic spirit within political parties is necessary, not only for the country's future but also for democracy," he said.
His comments on the internal democracy come close on the heels of the Congress planning to elevate its vice-president Rahul Gandhi as party president, in place of his mother Sonia Gandhi. The BJP has often compared Congress' "dynastic politics" with its internal democracy that allows even a lower-rung cadre to rise to the top.
The PM also talked about how he used to "look after" journalists and interact with them during his initial days in the party. He said both the ruling party and the media may have expectations as well complaints from each other but they need to get along happily amid these differences.
Crediting the media for its support to the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) campaign, the PM thanked the journalists for speaking in one voice on the issue, even if it might have been critical of the government on other matters. "The media has joined the scheme in 'mission mode'. But this is just the beginning and we still have a long way to go to achieve international standards of cleanliness," Modi said.
After his address, the PM, along with party president Amit Shah, met with the journalists and gave them an opportunity to click selfies with them.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Modi-Amit-PTI")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}