Narendra Modi today said he would reach out to muslim "brothers" like any other citizen of the country and made it clear that the contentious issues of Ram Temple and Uniform Civil Code would be addressed with the Constitutional framework.
The BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate underlined that he sees all Indians as one and it is his "responsibility" to reach out to all sections of the society, which includes muslims.
"As Chief Minister of Gujarat, I have tried to connect to six crore people of the state as much as possible. Now I have been entrusted with the national responsibility. I will use all efforts at my command to reach out to 125 crore people. This is part of my responsibility and I must do it.
"It may mean walking 100 steps. I may walk three steps, five steps or seven steps, that is a different matter. But it is my responsibility that I must make demonstrative efforts to reach out to every citizen of the country," he said.
He was responding on ABP News channel's 'Ghoshnapatra' programme when pointed out that he appeared to have started establishing contact with muslim community.
Asked specifically whether his effort to reach out to every citizen included muslims, Modi replied, "I will never go by this terminology of yours. Even if you drag me, I will not. I will meet my countrymen. I understand only one language that they are my countrymen, they are my brothers. You may see with whatever colour you want, Modi will not go into that colour."
He went on to add, "even if I lose elections, let it be so, I have no problem. But the country has been destroyed by this language, the mindset of you people and I will never own that mindset. And you please stop such attacks on my freedom.
