P. Chidambaram

“We cannot afford to leave the poor behind.”

“I readily concede that a prime minister is not required to speak on every occasion or on every subject, but when there is a duty to speak, silence is unacceptable. Silence can be a strategy, silence can be a tactic, but silence can never be an answer to the ills of our polity and the fault lines of our society.”

“I think people respect governments that take decisions and act decisively.”

“Pakistan is not a rogue state, but it harbours and covertly supports rogue elements. While war is not the answer, hard or coercive diplomacy could be.”

“A government can do only what is feasible given the political and economic context.”

“In income tax, there is no case for amnesty.”

“Unfortunately, terror is now linked to immigration, and anyone with dark skin or a beard or a Muslim name is suspect. Russia, France, then the United Kingdom, and now even Germany have no qualms about going far beyond their borders to strike at the enemies of their countries.”

“Two successive commissioners in London police were fired by the mayor that came into office. That doesn't mean the police in London is not independent and does not exercise powers. Ultimately it is the political executive that has to answer.”

“If you go back to any period in India's history, all the hard decisions this country had to take were taken when the Congress was in power.”

“Once the war of words begins, truth is the casualty.”

“All wisdom does not reside in Delhi.”

“Police can only act on intelligence.”

“Corruption is not the sole test of your worthiness to form the government.”

“I belong to the Congress. My party has always supported prohibition, though it may not have been successful in implementing prohibition in many states.”

“Evidence points out that if you raise tariffs too much it will increase smuggling.”

“I respect the view of a rating agency, but I do not make a budget for the rating agency. I make a budget for the people of India.”

“The police force cannot be completely independent of the executive government.”

“I don't think we should label budgets even before the budget is presented.”

“'Big business' was a bad phrase in India. To be accused of being big business was the worst accusation you could make. All that has gone now. The whole mindset has changed.”

“Today, to allege corruption seems to be the pastime of most people. All kinds of allegations are leveled. I think it is self-defeating.”