Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje today dismissed reports of her having differences with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said this was a "perception" created by the media as both of them talk when it is required.
Raje also called it an "imaginary talk" when asked if she was angry that her MP son Dushyant Singh was not given a berth in the Narendra Modi-led government that took charge in 2014.
"You all have tried to create that perception (she and Modi not gelling together)...That I am a 'maharani'...This is how it is...How far will you create perceptions? I have had no problems till now (with the PM).
"Things are going good in the state...Whenever there is a positive development you would be reading the tweets (by the PM) too. I never feel so..If it is about perception then you help us change it," she said when asked if the opposition was correct in saying that things do not gel ('banti nahin') between her and the PM.
Participating in the 'Agenda Aaj Tak' event here, she said there is nothing like not talking to Modi directly.
"You will not talk everyday...No one talks to me everyday when it comes to state affairs. When requirement arises, we talk, we meet and conferences are held and issues are exchanged. When there is requirement we do. There could be a perception problem with you but nothing between us (Raje and Modi)," she said.
Raje added her son, Dushyant, Member of Parliament from Rajasthan, is "happy where he is" and all the talks about her being unhappy at Dushyant not being inducted into the Modi cabinet are "imaginary."
"Kitni kalpanik baatein...Kahan se suni...Kisney aapko bataya (this is a imaginary talk...Where did you hear this and who told you?)...Dushyant is very happy where he is. In my family, by God's grace, we got what we should have...," she said when asked a question on this.
In reply to an another question on the leadership of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Raje said she has "no opinion" on this issue.
"I have got no opinion on Rahul's leadership...It's not my habit to go into this. It is not necessary to comment on this...Else you go on doing negative politics and the work of development of the state is not attended to," she said.
The Rajasthan chief Minister said she does not see state Congress President Sachin Pilot as a "threat" to her.
"We will see in 2018 (when Assembly polls are slated in the state)," she said.
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Talking about the effects of demonetisation in Rajasthan, Raje said her state has been "geared" to become a cashless economy since 2006-2007.
"I am a digitised state for a long time...Direct benefit transfer, digital platforms...If all this is present in any state, then Rajasthan is on top of it. We will be getting 23,000 machines (Point of Sale counters and electronic gadgets for cashless transactions) soon while 45,000 such machines are already working in the state. We are an enabled state," the CM said.
Raje, while presenting a report card of the state's progress during the event, chronicled a number of welfare schemes being initiated by her including a crowd funding project where Rs 53 crore was collected for creating water tanks in parched villages of the state.
She said her government ended at least 79 laws which were old and required to be scrapped.
"We have introduced a happiness index for the people of our state...The once called BIMARU state Rajasthan is now first in many many things...My critics would say 'maharani kya samjhegi gareebon ka problem' but we have done many things for the welfare of the poor," she said.
