Six-time parliamentarian, Subramanian Swamy, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will win 2019 elections on Hindutva, but the BJP government failed economically, reported Huffington Post.

The 79-year-old politician, said, "Right now, I find the Ministry of Finance is blocking the prosecution of many Congress leaders. I have attacked some members of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). I have raised questions about people in the CBI. That part is weak."

Hindutva has now heightened. My projection is that we will get majority again.The big takeaway:

The BJP is a cadre-based party. They don't care about Make in India—they want the Virat Hindustan concept.

The way that the present finance ministry is structured right now, it cannot deliver the goods.

A Hindu can never not be secular. Secularism has been taken to mean the dominance of English-educated people.

I think Modi generally wants to be acceptable to everybody. In my opinion that is self-defeating.

In our culture, if someone is identified as the man who is going to be the next prime minister, I think that is the end of him.

On economy

I'm telling you again that the economy is terrible and the ministry of finance people are clueless.

On becoming Finance Minister

Absolutely.

On Mohan Bhagwat

He wants the whole country to celebrate Hindutva.

On Modi becoming Prime Minister again?

I don't think there is any challenge to him. I don't see any such person.

On Congress president

Rahul Gandhi has not been able to emerge as a man of ideas. Ninety percent of his speech is just abuse, and it is all erratic.

Mayawati as prime minister?

If she becomes PM, it would be good for our sociological change.

She's too tough for that. She might want to become Vice-President. I mean if you offer it, she might accept, I don't know.

On finance minister

Mr. Jaitley does not understand because he has never studied economics.

There is a cartel today the controls the finance ministry, which is complicit with the corrupt in the previous dispensation.

If you were finance minister?

I would abolish income tax on the very first day. I would lower interest rates. I would raise the fixed deposit rate to 9%. I will get rid of GST.

On Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence deal

I've been saying to the Congress, if you have any evidence then why don't you file a case?

And by the way, Rafale is a plane that nobody wants to buy. In fact, I had told Parrikar that why are you wasting time buying planes, buy the company.

On finance secretary Hasmukh Adhia

He's a con man. I've asked for sanction to prosecute him. If I don't get sanction, then, like in 2G, I will go to the Supreme Court and say give me sanction.

On Ram Temple getting built?

I think the building will start in the next few months.

First Published:Oct 17, 2018 2:30 PM IST