During a podcast with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened up about his experiences handling anxiety and emotions during pivotal moments in his political career, particularly focusing on the Godhra train burning incident and the 2002 Gujarat elections. Modi recalled being newly elected as an MLA when the Godhra tragedy struck on February 27, 2002, just days after he assumed office. The incident, which involved the killing of 59 people in a train fire, shocked him and caused great personal distress. Despite his emotions, Modi remained focused on his duty, insisting on visiting the site in Godhra, even when his security team tried to prevent him due to limited resources, including a single-engine helicopter.

The Prime Minister shared how he managed to suppress his natural human emotions to fulfill his responsibilities in such a painful situation. He emphasized the importance of detachment from personal feelings when in leadership positions. Modi also reflected on the emotional challenges he faced during the 2002 Gujarat elections, which followed the Godhra incident. He revealed that he chose not to watch TV or check election results but only learned about his victory later in the day, once he had overpowered his anxiety and focused on his duties.