Modi had an audience with Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace here on the fourth day of his five-day visit to Japan to strengthen bilateral ties.
Addressing the members of the Indian community at a reception here, Modi spoke of him carrying a copy of the Gita during the Japan visit for gifting it to the Emperor.
"For gifting I brought a Gita. I do not know what will happen in India after this. There may be a TV debate on this.
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?"
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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 said.
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.