Modi says wants to pay back 'India's debts'

Gandhinagar, April 4 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said he wants to pay back debts he owes to the country.

At a book release function here, Modi said: "Log kah rahe hain Narendra Modi ne Gujarat ka karz chuka diya hai, ab Hindustan ka karz chukange." (People are saying I have repaid the debt of Gujarat and they are now repay the debt owned to India).

"It is not just Modi but every Indian who owes a lot to India. We must make use of every opportunity that comes our way to repay our debts to our motherland," he added.

Modi did not explain what he meant but his supporters have been demanding that he be made the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Modi's statement came on a day when Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi made it clear that he was not in the race to be the prime minister.