ET World Leaders Forum: PM Modi responsive to youth, shown that people can come together to better systems, says Smriti Irani

BJP national general secretary Smriti Irani said the Prime Minister has been attentive to the needs of the youth and shown that people can come together to improve the country's systems.

Irani, a former minister, was speaking with ET's Nidhi Sharma during a session of the ET World Leaders Forum, titled "Power, Popularity and Politics: Picture Abhi Baaki Hai." It was her first media engagement since returning to a formal organisational role in the BJP after a two-year break.

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Irani said the way the government handled the recent protests showed that the party is "connected enough". "There are always questions thrust upon the political leadership whether we are connected enough... the Prime Minister, his office have been responsive," Irani said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken directly to the youth and by creating a task force, headed by people who have fought elections against the BJP, he has shown that everyone can come together and work to better the country's systems.

Irani spoke extensively about the challenges working women professionals face and said the only difference between her and other women was that she had a microphone in her hand. "Nothing is difficult. Juggling roles comes naturally to any woman, and particularly to Indian women. All the women that you've seen here today have juggled a lot of things to get to that chair that they are sitting on... I never look at a circumstance as a challenge. I always look at it as an opportunity. If you succeed, that means how you met that challenge; that particular landscape was, of course, a success. If you do not succeed, then that opportunity becomes a learning opportunity."

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Alluding to the recent controversy over Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party leader Sandeep Dikshit's reference to Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Irani said, "I think that that one incident is a great reminder to all women, especially women in politics, that it does not matter for some men how much of an achiever you are. All it takes is for one brash man to bring you down, sexualise you so that you can be demeaned."