My tears show my empathy, not weakness: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Saturday fired back at Rahul Gandhi over his speech where the Congress leader gleefully suggested that the PM was distraught over the trends of polling so far and could even break down.
Addressing a rally at Palamu in Jharkhand, Modi said that if he turns emotional it is only because he, having been born into poverty, emphathises with the underprivileged and has an insight into what they go through.
"My eyes well up with tears of joy when I meet the beneficiaries of welfare schemes. This can be understood only by those who have experienced poverty, those who have led a life of hardships. This can make no sense to those who have not seen their mothers coughing (while cooking) because of the smoke from stove, those who have not seen their mothers tying their tummy with sari to crush pangs of hunger that would not let them sleep, drinking pots full of water to quench their hunger and concealing their illness, those who have not seen their mother suffer pain and humiliation because of absence of latrines."

The PM also said that Rahul who was born into privilege can never understand this. "Congress ke shehzade ko Modi ke aansoon acchey lagte hain (the prince of Congress loves to see Modi's tears)," he said, reciting the popular Hindi couplet "Jaake paon phate na phate biwai, So kya jaane peer parai" (only those who have suffered themselves can empathise with the miseries of others), adding that Rahul was born with the proverbial silver spoon.
Referring to Rahul's remark that Modi would soon break down on dais, Modi also said that he would remain focused on his tasks of making India a developed nation and was not going to leave the arena until the objective has been accomplished.
He also said that Congress was not serious about eradication of poverty and could not move beyond choreographed visits of PMs to the hamlets of poor, but BJP govt has made a determined effort to help bring people out of poverty by providing them with houses and other facilities.
"Your one vote fulfilled the aspirations of countless mothers and liberated this land from Naxalite terrorism. During the Congress regime, the situation was dire," Modi added.