Tokyo, 2 September 2014

(For Modi’s remark on ‘seculars’ watch video above on 24:30 -26:15)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at his “secular friends” over his gifting a copy of the holy Hindu text ‘Bhagvad Gita’ to Japanese Emperor Akihito on Tuesday. He said they could kick up a storm and trigger TV debates back home.

Modi met Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace on the fourth day of his five-day visit to Japan to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.

Addressing the members of the Indian community at a reception, Modi said he was carrying a copy of the Gita for gifting it to the Emperor.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Japanese Emperor Akihito in Japan. “I brought Gita for gifting. I do not know what will happen in India after this. There may be a TV debate on this. Our secular friends will create ‘toofan'(storm) that what does Modi think of himself? He has taken a Gita with him that means he has made this one also communal,” the Prime Minister said.

As his remarks were greeted with a round of applause, Modi hastened to add, “Anyway, they should also have their livelihood and if I am not there then how will they earn their livelihood?”

Modi said he wondered why nowadays small things create controversies. “I don’t know why, but people create controversies even with such trivial things nowadays, but I have my own commitment and my own conviction that if I meet some great person of the world, I will give it(Gita) and that is why I brought it,” he added.

Today I went to the Maharaja of Japan, I have given one to him,” he said, adding,” Because I don’t think that I have anything more to give and the world also does not have anything more to get than this”. The remark triggered another round of applause from the assembled gathering.

In couple of hours after Modi’s announcement that he gifted Gita book to Emperor, Congress ally Nationalist Congress Party(NCP)’s Muslim leader Tariq Anwar was seen on prominent national news channel objecting Modi’s act of gifting religious book of Hindus during foreign visit.