Gandhinagar, Jul 12: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has said he was proud to be a Hindu nationalist.
In an interview to Reuters news agency, Modi said: "I am nationalist. I'm patriotic. Nothing is wrong. I am born Hindu. Nothing is wrong. So I'm a Hindu nationalist. So yes, you can say I'm a Hindu nationalist because I'm a born Hindu," he told Reuters news agency in an interview in his official residence in Gandhinagar.
The Gujarat strongman was asked as to who was the "real Modi"--Hindu nationalist or a pro-business Chief Minister?
"As far as progressive, development, workaholic, whatever they say, this is what they are saying. So there's no contradiction between the two. It's one and the same image," he said.
"I would have felt frustrated if I had been caught stealing. I have not done anything wrong. If one sits on the backseat of a car, and a puppy is crushed under the wheel, I ought to feel bad, even if I don't drive the car."
"I am the chief minister and if anything wrong happens, I ought to feel bad. I have a philosophy in life and I always dream of doing something great,"
